


Jay Loves E

by mtngirlforever



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 09:03:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 31,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6698515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mtngirlforever/pseuds/mtngirlforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an AU story. Jay Halstead is looking for love while working for the CPD Intelligence Unit. It is now rated M so please keep this is mind. Jay, Erin, and my OC & of course the other characters with a few Chicago Fire characters making occasional appearances.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been posted on Fan Fic for a while and is already complete, but I thought I'd share on here too.

Jay Halstead must have had a really rough shift. Gabriella Dawson had poured him almost a half a bottle of scotch over the course of 5 hours. She couldn’t get him to admit what was bothering him but she noticed his demeanor change when he noticed the brunette that entered the bar. Gabby walked over and took her order and when she returned with her beer she noticed she too was eyeing Halstead. Gabby knew there was a story there but she didn’t think Halstead would be forth coming with info tonight. She took Halstead a coke and asked if he knew the woman because Gabby had never seen her before. Jay just shakes his head, but he gets up and moves towards her. He sits down beside her. “Emmalyn,” he says. 

“Hey, Jay.” 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I moved back to the city. I went by the station to see you, and Antonio said I could probably find you here.” Jay just nods. He can feel Gabby watching them and knows she’ll ask Antonio later but at this point he doesn’t care. He finishes his coke and looks at her. “Wanna get out of here?” he asks her. Emmalyn nods. Halstead signals Gabby and he gives her money for both of their drinks. He guides Emmalyn out of the bar and into the cool night air.

“It’s such a nice night out,” she says.

“Em… come on.” 

“What Jay? Can’t we just be pleasant and friendly?” 

He just looks at her. “Emmalyn are you serious? You left two years ago without so much as an explanation!! And you think we can just go back to the way things were? YOU BROKE MY HEART Em.” He could see the tears on her cheeks. “Oh Em… don’t cry. I just… (sigh) I just had a rough day and I… I don’t know how to handle this… plus I’ve had maybe a little too much alcohol.” 

“Jay, look, I’m sorry ok. I didn’t have a choice when I left. Didn’t you get my note?” Jay shook his head no. Emmalyn sighed. “Jay… I was forced under cover. I’ve spent the last two years going after a dirty cop upstate. I left a note with the commander to give to you explaining everything but I guess he knew I’d tell you everything I wasn’t supposed to.” Jay wrapped her in a hug. “Em, I’m sorry. I really didn’t know.” He could feel her nod against his chest. “Come on. You can come home with me and tell me all about this under cover gig you did.” 

They walked the few blocks to Jay’s apartment. They set on the couch most of the night just talking and catching up. Finally at about 3 am Jay carried her to his bed and tucked her in. He could tell she was exhausted and wanted her to get a good night’s sleep. He covered up on the couch hoping to get a few hours of sleep before he had to be at work. Sure, he tried to make a go of it with Erin but she shot him and down. She was his partner and he loved her in a way, but not like he loved Emmalyn. He was so damn happy Em was back. She was the one woman he had ever truly loved and given his heart to. When she left two years ago, she took his heart with him and he didn’t know if he’d ever see her again. Now he had hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d have someone to come home to at night. With that thought he fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Jay woke up confused as to why he was on the couch and why his house smelled like eggs and bacon. He stumbled into the kitchen to see Emmalyn cooking. Last night came flooding back to him; Emmalyn was back. 

“Good morning sleepyhead. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to get up or not.” 

“Uh... Yea sorry. You shoulda woke me. Besides you shouldn’t be cooking. You just got back and are my guest.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Jay. You know I loved cooking for you.” He nods and kisses her on top of the head as he passes her to get some coffee. “So, what are your plans for today?” he asks. 

“Ah, you know. Just settling back into Chicago life. Going to go see the Commander; find a place to live, ya know that kinda thing.” 

Jay nods as he sips his coffee. “Well, I have to work and depending on if we catch a case or not will depend on when or if I come home tonight.” 

“Jay, you don’t have to explain anything to me. I didn’t expect to come back and pick up where we left off.” Jay doesn’t know what to say to that so he decides not to say anything. Emmalyn dishes up breakfast and they sit down to eat. Over breakfast Em brings up the question Jay hoped she wouldn’t ask.

“So have you met anyone since I’ve been gone?” Jay swallows his mouthful and thinks about how to answer her. “Sorta, I guess.” 

“What do you mean, sorta?” she teases.

“Well, I like this woman, but she’s off limits.” That was the best way he knew how to explain Erin.

“Has that ever stopped you before Jay Halstead?” 

“Not really, no.” he agrees. “But when our boss won’t tolerate in-house romance, that stops me.” 

“Ah I see,” Emmalyn says. 

“Yea, I’ve kinda fallen for my partner, but like I said off limits.” 

“Jay, I’m asking this as much for myself as for you when I ask this.” Jay nods for her to continue. 

“Do you like her enough to transfer or are you happy admiring from a distance and keeping your job in intelligence?” Jay really had to think before answering her.

“I’m not sure Em. Before I woulda said I liked her enough to transfer, but now you’re back and I’m not sure.”

“Jay, I said it once before, but I’ll say it again. I didn’t come back expecting to pick up right where we left off. If anything I thought I would have to work my way back to you and run some chick off.” Jay chuckled at that.

“I’m sorry to run off Em, but I’ve got to get ready for work.”

“No problem. I’ll clean up and then I need to get going as well.” 

Jay goes to his room and strips. He jumps in the shower thinking about what Emmalyn had said. He needed to decide if he loved Erin enough to pursue her or if he needed to let her go and a make go at it with Em again. That was a thought for another time though. He got dressed and returned to the living room. Emmalyn was getting her stuff together to leave. 

“I left my number on the fridge. If nothing else I want to be friends, Jay.” Jay nods and wraps her in a hug. 

“I will Em, no doubt. You’ll always be one of my best friends, but you’re right. I do need to some time to think.” He kisses her on the top of the head and they leave. Jay headed to work and Emmalyn headed to talk to the commander about her job.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jay got to work, Erin could tell something was on his mind. Dawson was talking with Voight, so she sat a coffee on his desk. When he looked up at her she asked, “What’s wrong, Jay?” Before he could brush her off, she said, “and don’t say nothing because I can tell something is on your mind.” Jay decided to be somewhat honest with her. 

“An old friend returned to town yesterday. Got me thinking about some things.” Erin nodded. 

“Well you better get your head on straight before Voight notices.” Jay nods.

“Hey, Lindsay?” 

“Yea?”

“Wanna come over for a drink tonight? I need a friend to talk to.” 

“Yea, sure, sounds good.”

They returned to work. They ended up catching a case and making a drug bust on a major dealer. Jay was proud of the way Erin handled herself with one of the addicts. She convinced the girl to go to rehab. When Erin knocked on his door later that night, he already had the beer and pizza waiting. 

They sat on the couch eating and drinking. Finally Erin’s curiosity got the better of her. “So, what’s up Jay?”

Jay sits there for a minute thinking about where to begin. She knew a little about Emmalyn so he just decided to jump right in. “Emmalyn is back. She got into town last night and found me at Molly’s.” Erin remains silent so Jay continues. “I brought her here and we caught up. She was forced undercover two years ago. She wrote me a letter, but I never got it. I slept on the couch last night. She asked me some really tough questions this morning that got me thinking.” Erin nods. Jay was rambling but she was keeping up. She knew if she interrupted he wouldn’t continue so she kept quiet.

“I told her that I did like you and she said she never expected to pick up where we left off. The main thing she said that got me thinking was if I liked you enough to transfer or was I happy just admiring you from a distance and moving on.” 

“What did you say, Jay?”

“I told her I didn’t know. I really wanted to be with you because let’s be honest, I really like you. But Em, she took my heart with her when she left. I finally moved on and she’s back. I don’t know, Erin. Right now I just don’t know.” 

Erin leans in close. “Jay, you know I like you just as much, and I would absolutely hate to lose you as a partner. I just got you broke in.” Jay chuckles. “But honestly, you have to go with what your heart is telling you.” 

Jay turns so he is facing her. “And what is your heart telling you?” he asks.

Erin sucked in her breath. It is eerily quiet in Jay’s apartment while he waits for her answer. Erin leans closer. “My heart says you, but my head hears Voight saying no.” Jay puts his hands on the side of her face and then kisses her!

“Erin, it’s your turn to think,” he whispers. She gets this confused look on her face and then he kisses her again. Just as Erin starts kissing him back, Jay pulls back. “Seems we both need to do some thinking,” he says.

Erin nods. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jay. I need to leave before we do anything rash.” 

Jay nods. He walks her to the door. He pulls her in for another kiss. “Don’t wait too long to decide Halstead.” 

“You either,” he smiles. “Let me know you get home safe.”

“I will.” 

Later Jay gets a text. “I’m home. Just wants to say I wish I was there. I think I’ve made up my mind. Screw Voight’s rules. I hear dating your best friend is the best thing ever.”

Jay laughs as he reads her message. “Don’t worry, Lindsay. We’ll figure this out. :)” 

Jay went to sleep with a smile on his face. He finally got Lindsay to admit her feelings. Now he just needed to decide what to do about Emmalyn.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Jay awoke to a text from Lindsay. "I know I was a little bold last night & probably took you by surprise, but I meant it. I really do like you J & I know I have to wait bc of Emmalyn, but I like you & I want the whole world to know. But its up to you so just wanted to leave you something to think about before work :) "

Jay was surprised to see Erin so open. Maybe putting it out there that someone else could be serious about him made her realize what she wanted. Jay didn’t bother to respond because he’d be seeing her in less than an hour. Had Emmalyn not shown back up, Jay would still be at square one with Lindsay; now, he was just conflicted though. 

He wanted to hear Em out, but at the same time he had gotten super super close with Erin and he really liked her. He was torn. He went to work with these thoughts running through his head. When he got there he noticed everyone was working on paperwork, so he sat down and found his own paperwork to work on. He could feel Erin’s eyes on him so he looked up. She nodded towards the break room and he nodded back. Erin got up and headed into it and Jay followed a few minutes behind her. 

Ruzek noticed this and glanced at Antonio. Antonio just shook his head; “Let it go, Ruzek. They’re just partners.” Ruzek shrugged. “Besides, Gabby told me that Jay left Molly’s two nights ago with a woman. Seemed as if they knew each other really well and things were or are serious between them.” Ruzek went back to his paperwork.

Erin had poured two cups of coffee when Jay walked in. She handed him a mug. “Did you get my text?” Jay nodded. “Come on Halstead give me something here.” Jay gazed at her while she sipped on her coffee. She appeared serious and genuine and he had never seen her look more beautiful. 

“I don’t know Er. I really really like you, but I feel like I need to hear Emmalyn out. I know we talked when she got back, but there’s more to the story then she’s telling me.” Erin nodded. 

“Jay, you have to follow your heart, but just know I was serious when I said I liked you.” 

“I know you are. I just need time to get my head straight.”

“I’ll always be here Jay, whatever you decide.” And with that she returned to her desk. Jay followed not long after her. When he sat down he sent Emmalyn a text. We need to talk when you’re free, but soon. -J. 

He also decided to send Erin a text. You look beautiful today ;) I promise I’ll figure this out soon. Don’t give up on me Er. Just know I’ll always like you as more than just my best friend & who knows maybe my heart will win in the end :) 

As soon as Jay put his phone up, the whole team, minus Voight, heard Erin’s phone go off. Jay didn’t even look up from his computer; he completely forgot she rarely turned her phone down. Ruzek shared a look with Antonio who just shrugged. Adam could tell something was up with the partners, he just didn’t know what. 

Erin smiled as she read the message, but no one saw. She knew she always liked Halstead, but it wasn’t until someone else came into the picture, that could really be someone serious for him, did she realize that she didn’t want anyone else to have him. But she realized Jay might still pick Emmalyn in the end so she needed to keep her heart in check. 

Several hours later, while putting his things in his locker, Jay got a text from Emmalyn. Sorry Jay, things have been busy and I just got your message. I think we said all that needs to be said the other night. After talking with the commander, there is a good chance I will be going under again so something serious between us again probably isn’t a good idea. Again, I’m sorry Jay.

Jay couldn’t believe this. She up and leaves two years ago and comes back, turns his life upside down, and then tells him they really are done and she’s really leaving again. “Un-fucking-believable” Jay said as he punched his locker. 

“Whoa, Whoa, Halstead. I know riding with me all day is stressful, but I thought we were having a good day.” Jay sighed as he sank down on the bench between their lockers. “Jay, come on what’s wrong? Something’s changed in the 5 minutes since we separated.” Jay pulled his phone out and pulled up the message from Emmalyn. He gave his phone to Erin to let her read it. He could see her eyes get bigger as she read. “I’m sorry Jay. I know you really wanted to talk to her & see what could’ve been.” 

“Yeah, well, maybe this is all I need to know. I should’ve just followed my heart and let the past be the past.”

“You know I’m always here; anytime, night or day.”

“Er wait. Come home and have a drink with me.”

“Ok, but nothing rash tonight Jay. I don’t want to just be a rebound.

“You’ll never be that to be Er, never.”

Erin nodded and took his hand to lead him out of the locker room. They heard Adam and Kim coming down the stairs so they dropped each other’s hands and continued out to their cars. “I’ll see you at my apartment.”

Erin nodded as she got into her own car and headed to Jay’s.

Erin followed Jay upstairs to his apartment. Once inside, Jay threw their jackets over the kitchen chairs. He poured them both some whiskey as they sat down on the couch. “What’s on your mind, Jay?”

Jay sat there for a minute staring into his whiskey thinking before he answered. “I really wish she hadn’t come back. She messed with my head again when everything was just great without her. I just don’t get her. She up and leaves; comes back and wants another chance only to say we’re officially done and she’s leaving again. I just don’t get it.”

“Maybe she was just trying to make it easy on you. She didn’t know she was going back under when she looked you up. I’m not on her side, just trying to see things objectively,” she explained when she saw the confused look on his face. Jay downed his whiskey while he thought about what she said. 

“Maybe so. I think I should just forget she returned and move on.”

“This doesn’t change what I told you Jay. I still admit to my feelings and want to be with you. but I think I need to let you think on all this tonight and clear you’re head. Like I said I don’t want to be a rebound, and that’s how I’d feel if we got together tonight.” 

Jay nods as Erin sits her undrunk whiskey on the coffee table. “We’ll talk in the morning, Jay, and go from there.” Jay got up and walked her to the door. He leans down to kiss her and Erin lets him. 

“I’ll see you in the morning Er. Please let me know you get home safe.”

“I will Jay, I will.”

Later, Jay gets a text from Erin. Home safe and sound. Sleep on what we talked about tonight J & we’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll always be here. Sweet dreams & goodnight. Xoxo -E.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Jay got ready for work thinking about the fact that Erin liked him. Even though he had wanted to give Em another shot, he realized she hadn’t been a part of his life for two years and Erin has been. She’s his best friend and partner, and it’s time they had their chance. He stopped at Erin’s favorite coffee shop and got her a pumpkin spice latte and mocha for him.

When he gets to work, Erin is the only one at her desk, so he sets her latte down in front of her computer. “Mmm smells good. Thanks, Jay.” 

“No problem. Do you want to get dinner tonight after work?”

“Uh, yea sure. Everything ok Jay?” 

Ruzek and Atwater were coming up the stairs, so Jay decided to wrap the conversation rather quickly. “Yea. Just want to talk.” Erin nodded to keep from giving Ruzek any info. It’s fun keeping Ruzek guessing what is going on between them. Jay sat down at his desk to wait for Voight; he felt his phone vibrate just as Voight walked out. 

So far they didn’t have a case, so Voight told them to catch up on any paperwork they were behind on. Once Voight returned to his office, Jay pulled out his phone. Not going to Molly’s tonight. We’ll order take out and eat at your apartment. Jay smiled. It was going to be a good night. 

Voight sent them out for lunch. While they were out, Erin let Jay buy lunch. On the way back Erin asked, “So should I plan on staying tonight, or not?” 

Jay almost choked on his drink. “Um, well yea if you want to. I won’t object, but it’s up to you. I know you didn’t want to feel like a rebound so I’ll leave it up to you.” 

“Ok. Well I guess we’ll just it a surprise.” Jay didn’t have a chance to respond before Voight called letting them know they had caught a case with a dead drug dealer. Once on scene, the partners were all business. It took until almost midnight before they caught the killer. By then, the entire team was exhausted. 

Once it was just Jay and Erin in the locker room Jay said, “Today was long so I’ll understand if you don’t want to come over for any serious conversations.”

“I up for it, if you are Halstead. I just want to run room and change, and then I’ll be over.”

“Ok sounds good. Pizza and beer ok with you?” 

“Yep. I’ll see ya in like thirty minutes?”

“Sounds good Er. Be careful.” 

15 minutes after Jay got home, the pizza arrived. Jay turned on the hockey game and got comfy. 15 minutes later there was another knock on his door. Erin was standing on the other side with a bag. “So I guess you’re staying?” Jay asked with a smirk on his face. 

“It never hurts to be prepared, Halstead.” 

“Come on; pizza’s getting cold.”

Erin left her bag by the couch on her way to the kitchen. Jay had her pizza and beer waiting. Erin smiled as she took her plate. “Come on, we can watch the game while we eat.” They took their plates to the living room and watched the game. Once they were done, Erin carried their plates to the kitchen. She down on the opposite side of the couch, facing Jay.

“Come on, Jay. What’s on your mind? I know it’s been a long day, but I still want to talk.” Jay nodded, turned the tv off, and turned facing Erin. 

“Well this is what I’m thinking: I’ve always liked you Erin and I’ve never hid it. You are my best friend, and I realized that Emmalyn hasn’t been here when you have. I shouldn’t have given her the time when she came back. I’m not saying I regret her coming back because it made you jealous. “Erin laughed at that. “But I think it’s our time now. I think we will be great together. I would make sure you knew every day how much I loved and appreciated you.” 

Erin didn’t know how to respond at first. She knew how much he liked her and she knew how much she liked him. Jay had this look of complete adoration as he gazed at her waiting for her to respond. Erin knew right then, that he was exactly what she wanted and needed. “You know what Halstead; I think you just might be right. It is our time. But, you owe me a proper date before I will sleep with you.” 

Jay shook his head and chuckled. “Ok, Er, ok.” 

“But I am staying tonight. Cuddling is very much accepted until then.” 

“Well come on then. We have work tomorrow and I want all the cuddling time I can get.” Jay grabbed her hand and led her to his room. They fell asleep cuddled up together.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Jay awoke to Erin cuddled up against him. He couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face. He never thought this dream would ever come true, but it was starting to look like it just might. He snuggled closer to her and just watched her sleep. He was completely mesmerized by her beauty. He felt her starting to stir. “Good morning, sunshine.” 

“Mmm good morning Jay,” Erin said with a smile as she rolled towards him. Jay leaned closer and gave her chance to tell him no before he planted a gentle kiss on her lips. “Mmmm, not now, detective. We have to get ready for work,” Erin said with a laugh.

“Okay, okay. Hey are you free on Friday?”

“Hmmm, maybe. Why?” 

“I was going to take you out after work for our first real date if you were free.”

“Halstead, I think I just might be free,” Erin said with a smirk. “Where are we going?”

“Oh no missy. It’s all a surprise.” 

“Fine! I get shower first,” Erin said as she took off for the bathroom. Jay went to the kitchen to get the coffee started. He heard the shower come on about the same time he heard a knock on the door. He checked his phone to make sure Voight hadn’t called because he was almost positive Voight was on the other side of the door. 

He didn’t see any missed calls, but he hung his head anyways. He headed for the door preparing for the longest lecture of his life. He opened the door was a surprised to see Emmalyn standing there. 

“Emmalyn, what are you doing here?” 

“You said you wanted to talk, and I think we need to.” 

“Emmalyn now is not the time. You said there was nothing to talk about and you were going back under.” 

“I did and I am, but come on Jay, just hear me out.” Jay sighed. He heard the shower shut off, and knew Erin would be out any minute. 

“Emmalyn now’s not the time for that talk. You could’ve and should’ve called.”

“I wasn’t sure you would answer.”

Before Jay could respond, Erin called out. “Halstead, did you start the coffee?” 

“Of course . Should be almost ready. I’ll be right there.”

Jay turned back to Emmalyn; “My you sure move on quick.” 

This infuriated Jay; “Emmalyn, I told you now was not the time! I’ll text you and we can meet up, but you DO NOT get to judge! I told you honestly that there was someone & you told me that you and I were done. So you have no right to say one word about who is here and who is not. I have to get ready for work, but I’ll try and find time to text you,” and he closed the door on her. 

“Jay is that you,” Erin called when she heard the door close. Jay shook his head and went to fix her coffee. “Yeah it’s fine.” He fixed her coffee just the way she liked it and took it to her in the bedroom. Erin could sense something was wrong, and she was afraid Hank had been on the other side of that door. She was seriously going to have to have a talk with him. 

“Who was at the door?” she asked as she sipped her coffee. He always knew just how to make it for her. 

“Emmalyn. She suddenly decided she wants to talk, and I told her I might text her later.” 

“Jay, I’m sorry,” but before she could finish he cut her off.

“Er, this is in no way your fault. I promise you, I will get this taken care of so we can have the fresh start we deserve. We’re still going out on Friday so keep your schedule clear.” 

“I will. Now go get ready before we’re late.” 

While Jay went to get ready, Erin went to the kitchen to find breakfast. Before she could find anything good, there was a knock on the door. Erin went to the bathroom door, “Hey Halstead, someone’s knocking on your door.”

“Just open it, Erin. At this point it probably is Voight looking for you.” 

Erin didn’t bother responding, just took off for the door laughing. “Coming,” she called as the person on the other side knocked again. “Oh, chill Hank! We’re both…” she never finished that sentence because on the other side of the door stood Emmalyn. “Umm… can I help you?” Erin asked.

“Where’s Jay?”

“He’s getting ready for work. Didn’t he tell you he would text you later?” 

“Yeah, but he has to give me a second chance. He has no right to be with you when I’m back.”

This just pissed Erin off because the way Emmalyn had treated Jay sure didn’t seem like she really cared about him. “Look lady, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m pretty sure you told him y’all were done and he didn’t stand a chance with you because you were going back under. So he can be with whoever he wants, and you do not get a say in it. Until he decides he wants to talk to you, you don’t get a say in his life. My advice to you would be to just leave and wait on him to contact you. He waited two fucking years for you, I think you can wait for a simple text, if he so chooses to text you.” 

Erin could see something in Emmalyn’s eyes that meant she wasn’t done with this fight. This chick was really starting to bug Erin. “You have to make sure he does text me. It’s not fair for him to ignore me and our child all these years.” 

That completely shocked Erin and took the fight right out of her. Jay had never mentioned a child with Emmalyn. They were fixing to have a serious conversation if she was to ever consider continuing her relationship with him. 

“Look, I’ll tell him you stopped back by, but you need to leave. Now.” Erin closed the door. She went to the kitchen to get her coffee, her breakfast hunt forgotten. She didn’t hear the shower so she knew Jay would be out any minute. 

“Hey Er who was at the door?”

“Umm... Emmalyn. Don’t guess she ever left. I told her you were getting ready.”

“Gosh she’s suddenly impatient, especially for someone who said we had nothing to talk about.” 

“Jay, she seemed desperate.” Jay walked into the kitchen and saw Erin staring into her coffee. “Er, come on what’s wrong? What else did she say? Something has upset you.” 

“Jay … why didn’t you tell me you had a kid?” The look on Jay’s face told Erin all she needed to know; Jay didn’t know either. 

“I’m sorry. What did you say?” 

“Jay, Emmalyn said & I quote ‘it’s not fair for him to just ignore me and our child all these years.’” Jay’s face was still complete shock so Erin knew Jay didn’t know Emmalyn had a child, much less that it was his. If it really was. 

“Erin I swear to you I do not have a child, and if I do she’s kept it from me.” 

“Jay, I believe you. But I think you really need to talk to her. A paternity test is not a bad idea either.” 

Jay nodded. He still did not know what to say. “Come on, partner, we’re late.” 

Jay and Erin went to work. Jay stopped to talk to Platt to see if she knew anything on Emmalyn or her case but she didn’t. Jay decided he would do all the digging on his own today as long as they didn’t have a case. He would get to the bottom of this before today was over. When he got upstairs, everyone was working on their computers at their desk. There wasn’t anything on the board so he sat down and got to work too. 

To anyone watching, it looked like he was just working on paperwork, but Erin knew he was really trying to learn all her could. Jay felt his phone vibrate. “I’ll help anyway I can. Dating or not, you’re still my partner & I have your back no matter what :)” 

Jay smiled as he read it. Erin was it for him; he just needed to find a way to make her his permanent partner in life. He sent Emmalyn a text “We need to talk. You had NO RIGHT to say that Erin this morning. & you’ve had NO RIGHT to keep this child from me, if it’s really mine. I’ll be at Molly’s tonight & if you’re not there by 10 pm. I will get a court order for a paternity test & I will not have anything more to say to you.”

Jay got back to work. He was looking for anything he could find that would explain what Emmalyn had been doing for the last two years. A couple hours of later, Jay still hadn’t learned much because all the files were classified. Erin decided they needed a lunch break. On the way to the car, Jay’s phone vibrated. 

“I will be there. Please do not go through the courts. We can work this out on our own. I didn’t know how else to get you to see me again & I know she would make sure you did. See you tonight Jay. I’ve always loved you and always will.”

Jay didn’t bother responding. He felt like he was being played, but until he talked to her he wouldn’t know for sure. “Everything okay Jay?”

“Uh, yeah. That was Em. She’s going to meet me tonight at Molly’s & talk.” 

Once they got in the car, Erin spoke. “How about this… I’ll go and get a beer too; sit off to the side & observe. You know I am good at reading people so between the two of us, we’ll know if she’s lying or not.”

“Thanks Er. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

The rest of the day was uneventful. Jay and Erin went straight to Molly’s from work. Jay had told Erin that Emmalyn only had until 10 and that if she didn’t show, they were leaving & he’d go to a judge tomorrow. 

Much to Jay and Erin’s surprise Emmalyn was already there when they got there. They split at the door; Erin going to the bar and Jay going to Em’s table. “Hey.” 

“Hey.”

“So let’s get this over with,” he said. “I want the full story and then we’ll go from there.”

“Jay, please don’t be like this. You need to be a part of your daughter’s life. I have to go back under and this time she can’t come.” 

“Wait, WHAT?! You took your daughter under cover last time? How could you?!” 

“Settle down Jay. She was never in any danger. I had to be a single mother looking for a fresh start to get away from my boyfriend. Plus it let me keep her with me for the first years of her life.”

“Emmalyn… I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing or if you’re even playing one, but I want a paternity test. I can’t be sure she is mine just by taking your word.”

Emmalyn slid an envelope across the table. “Already done. I got your DNA when I stayed at your house my first night back in town. I knew you would ask for one when I dropped this on you so I was prepared.” 

Sure enough Emmalyn was telling the truth. Jay didn’t speak so Emmalyn did. “She’s only 2. She’ll adjust faster than you. I leave tomorrow night so I need to bring her by in the morning. I have all her medical information, daily routine, the sitter I use, phone numbers, etc. I will bring everything to your house. Jay, I need you to do this, to be her father. I will more than likely always be sent under because the commander said I was the best. I have the papers to sign all my rights over to you. I’m not sure how much I’ll be around anymore so I think it’s only fair that you be able to move on and whoever you settle with to adopt her when the time is right. All I ask is that you keep pictures/videos for me to watch when I’m in town. I trust that whoever you settle with will be good for our daughter, otherwise I would not sign my rights away.” 

“Emmalyn, slow down! I need time. You can’t just drop this bomb on me and then leave me to deal with the fallout after you leave.”

“I don’t have time Jay. You’ll be a good father and like I said she’ll adjust faster than you. Her name is Jaylyn Faith, but I usually call her JayJay.” She slid a thing of pictures across the table. “I always made you copies of any picture I took. I’ll be at your apartment at 8 am sharp.” With that, Emmalyn got up and left. 

Erin came over as soon as she was out the door. “Jay, you okay? You’re looking kinda pale.” Jay didn’t respond so Erin grabbed him by the arm. “Come on let’s get out of here and go home.” Erin gathered all their things on the table to take with them. She’d heard the entire conversation. Jay still didn’t say anything the whole way home. 

Once they got to his apartment he broke down. “How can she do this Er. I don’t know anything about 2 year olds. She’s kept me from my daughter for 2 whole years and now she’s just dumping her on me and giving it all to me. She’s even giving her rights away because her job is more important. How can she do this to me?” 

Erin let me get it all out. They sat on the couch with him lying with his head in her lap. She methodically ran her hand back and forth through his hair calming him down. “I don’t get it Er, I just don’t.” 

“I know. Me neither. But we will raise this little girl right, and she will know she is greatly loved. She might not have a real mother, but we will make sure she never misses out.” Jay looked a little surprised so Erin felt she needed to explain more. “I’m not going anywhere Jay. If anything it makes me want to stay more. I never thought about having kids, but once I saw her picture and saw how much she looked like you, I knew without a doubt that I wanted that. I wanted to be a mother and have your kids one day. But if that day doesn’t come, then I want to help you with JayJay. I promised to always have your back and I will no matter what. Daughter or no daughter, you’re not getting rid of me this easily Jay Halstead. I’ll call Voight in the morning and tell him we need the day off. We’ll figure this out together, and we will have help from the team too. We’re all family Jay, and families help each other out.” 

She finally got Jay in bed. She sent Voight a quick text even though he hated texting. “Jay & I need the day off tomorrow. If I get a chance I’ll come by and explain but please just give us this.” She crawled in bed next to him. He was already asleep and she snuggled close so she could go to sleep too. She knew everything was going to change for good in the morning, but she was looking forward to it. She had hope that one day JayJay might call her mommy.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Jay and Erin got up at 7. Erin took a shower while Jay started then coffee; then Jay showered while Erin looked for breakfast. “Jay? What do you want to eat?”

“I’m not hungry so don’t worry about me,” Jay hollered from the bathroom while he got dressed. Jay came out to find Erin eating a pop tart and drinking her coffee. “You sure? You really need to eat, Jay.” 

“Yea I’ll be fine. I’m too nervous to eat.”

“It’ll be fine. I'm not going to run away.” Jay just chuckled as he fixed himself a cup of coffee. They only had five minutes left before Emmalyn was supposed to be there. Erin wrapped her around Jay; he rested his chin on top of her head. “I love you, Jay. We’ll get through this together. I promise. Everything is going to be okay.” Jay kissed the top of her head. Before he could respond there was a knock on the door. “Well here we go,” Jay said as he started towards the door. 

When he opened it, there stood Emmalyn holding a beautiful little girl. She really did look just like him. “Come on in. Do I need to help you get anything?” 

“Uh no. Here are some of her bags of clothes, diapers, toys. She doesn’t have many toys because we were away and I didn’t have room in the apartment. I’ll just leave here so yall can get acquainted while I go get the rest of her things. “ 

Emmalyn turned to go out the door. “Emmalyn, wait. I’ll help you get the rest of her things so Jay and Jaylyn can get to know each other.” Jay had a look of panic on his face, but Erin just gave him a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay. We’ll be right back.” Erin and Emmalyn go out the door before Jay can respond. He turns back around towards his daughter. 

Jaylyn is sitting on the floor looking at him. “Hi pretty girl.” Jaylyn gives him a snaggled tooth smile. “Dada” Jay is shocked. Jaylyn knows exactly who he is. “Dada dada.” 

Meanwhile downstairs, Erin grabbed a luggage cart to help carry things upstairs. Emmalyn had four more bags full of clothes. They loaded the toddler bed and high chair onto the cart. Erin grabbed a couple of the bags while Emmalyn grabbed the others and the car seat. “I’m sure you think I’m a terrible person, but my job has always been my priority. I never planned on having kids. I was a mother for two years because my cover story required it.” 

“Emmalyn, stop. You don’t have to explain anything to me. I’m Jay’s partner and I’m only here to help him. This is between you and him.” 

“Erin, look, I don’t know how well you know Jay, but I know him really well. And I know when I came back and we talked, I could see how much he loves you. That is why I agreed to another undercover job; I knew I didn’t stand a chance with him. His future is with you as long as you feel the same. That’s the other reason I’m signing my rights away. I know from listening to Jay that you and him will be together, and it will be easier for JayJay for you to be her mommy while you and Jay are together. You’ll be able to adopt her and the three of you can be a real family.” Erin was speechless; Emmalyn had really thought this out. Before she could respond, the elevator opened and they were in front of Jay’s apartment. Erin pushed the door open, and Jay was standing there holding a crying Jaylyn. “I don’t know what to do. She just started crying and she won’t stop.” 

Erin could see Jay was on the verge of a panic attack, and she knew he needed rescuing. Erin dropped the bags on the floor and walked towards Jay. She stretched her arms out; “Come here baby girl.” Jaylyn came right to her. Erin rubbed her back and was whispering “shhhh” over and over. Erin found a paci in a bag and she gave it to Jaylyn. Jay could see Erin was a natural; she was going to be a great mother. Jaylyn settled down as Erin sat on the couch rocking her. Jay was amazed. He fell more in love with that girl every day. 

Emmalyn nodded towards the kitchen and Jay followed. “Here is her daily schedule. I’ve had her on a schedule since she was one so if you follow it she should be fine. Here is her sitter, her doctor and such. You’ll want to put her on your insurance plan ASAP because once I sign these papers, she is no longer legally mine and will be dropped from mine. The sitter knows about the changes, but you don’t have to use her; it’s totally up to you.” Emmalyn could see Jay was overwhelmed, but there wasn’t any easy way to do this. “Here is all her medical information; she isn’t allergic to anything, but allergies can develop as she gets older. You’ll want to take her to the doctor soon so she her doctor can get to know you and can tell you anything you want to know.”

Jay was just nodding along as she talked. He was so thankfully Erin had the day off today too, because he didn’t know if he could do all this alone. “Last thing Jay and I’m gone. I just have to sign this paper. You have to sign acknowledging I’ve given you all rights, and Erin needs to sign as a witness. Once its signed, I will take it straight to my lawyer, and he will get it filed with the courts. You’ll get a copy and JayJay will be yours and solely yours until you want someone to adopt her.” Jay nodded. 

“I’ll go get Erin.” Jay walked into the living room to see Erin sitting on the couch holding his sleeping daughter. Seeing her with Jaylyn just confirmed his thoughts that she was it for him and one day he was going to marry her. 

“Hey Er?” he whispered so not to disturb Jaylyn. Erin turned her head towards him. “We need a witness for the legal rights page.” Erin nodded. She stood up and laid Jaylyn on the couch. Jay wrapped her in a hug before they went back to the kitchen. “I don’t know what I would do without you Erin. You are the most perfect woman I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “Come on Jay. Let’s get this over with so we can get on with this day.” 

Jay led Erin to the kitchen. “Okay guys. Erin has to sign as a witness, so here it goes.” Emmalyn signed her name; Jay signed the acknowledgement; Erin signed the witness line. “Okay so that’s it. I’ll take this to my lawyer right now and he’ll get it filed. I… I just want to say goodbye and then I’m gone. Just… I know I have no right now… but occasionally I’d like some pictures,” Emmalyn said with tears in her eyes. Jay and Erin nodded. She might not have wanted to be a mother, but she had grown attached to her little girl and this was harder than she let on. Emmalyn went to the living room. “Goodbye JayJay. Mommy loves you and knows this is the best for you. Be good for daddy and just know you’ll be greatly loved. Mommy loves you Jaylyn Faith.” Emmalyn kissed her head and walked out the door without a glance back. 

Jay sighed. It was so much to take in and he felt like he was sinking. He didn’t know how he was going to make it. “Er, I really don’t know that I can do this… it’s all too much. I don’t know anything about two year olds.” 

“Jay Halstead you listen to me. We will get through this together. We’ll learn together and we’ll use the resources we have; Dawson, Alvin, and Hank have all raised children. They’ll be more than happy to help. We’re all a family Jay and we will raise this little girl right. She’ll never question whether she is loved or not and she will never want for anything a little girl needs.” Jay nodded. 

Erin looked through the papers on the bar. She found Jaylyn’s schedule and saw a morning nap was not listed. Emmalyn must have gotten her up earlier than normal. “Okay so we’re going to let her sleep until she wakes up. I know this against the schedule, but she obviously needs sleep. While she’s asleep you can set up her room in the spare. I really need to talk to Hank, but this is something that needs to come from you. You can tell him or we can tell him together. 

“I’ll talk to him. It’s my problem, but I won’t lie if he asks about me and you, so if you want to tell that, then please by all means, feel free.” Jay said all this with a smile; the first real smile Erin had seen since Emmalyn had arrived. “Okay, well I’ll go talk to him while you set up Jaylyn’s room.” 

“WAIT, wait. You can’t leave me here alone.” Before he freaked out anymore Erin interrupted him. “Jay, chill! You will be fine while she sleeps. If she wakes up before I’m back let her play with toys or watch tv, or something. It’s not hard and I’ll be back soon.” 

Jay nodded. Erin kissed him on his way out the door. “I have my phone, but you will be fine Jay.” Jay just nodded again. He was on his own with a two year old, and this terrified him more than his tours in Afghanistan ever did.


	8. Chapter 8

After Erin left, Jay carried the bed into the spare room. He began putting it together while thinking about how his life had drastically changed. Not only had Erin become more than his partner, he now had a little girl that depended on him for everything. He really didn’t know how to raise a child, but he was going to do his damn best by her. He would make sure she was well loved and well taken care of. She was never gonna know the life some kids he worked with did. 

He prayed Erin’s conversation with Voight went well because if not, he didn’t know what he would do. Intelligence had become his life and he needed the job more than ever. Erin had also become a major part of it, and if he had to transfer just to keep her, he would. She was worth it, and she would make a great mom to Jaylyn. 

He kept working on the bed while listening for JayJay to wake up. It was going to take some time adjusting to having a little one around, but he would do it because he was all she had. He just hoped that while he adjusted, he didn’t damage his little girl in the process. He would never forgive himself if Jaylyn suffered because he didn’t know what he was doing. 

Meanwhile across town, Erin arrived at the precinct. Platt greeted her with “I thought Voight said you and Halstead were off today?” 

“We are, but I need to talk to him about something real quick. He’s here right?”

Platt nodded as Erin ran up the stairs. 

“Well there she is. What’d you do with Halstead, Lindsey? Bury him somewhere for us to find later?” Ruzek jokingly asked her. Erin flipped him off as she continued to Voight’s office. She knocked but walked on in..

“Hey Erin. So I’m assuming you’re here to tell me why you and Halstead both needed the day off?” 

Erin shook her head no. “That’s for Jay to tell you later. I’m here for a more personal talk.” Voight nodded as she took a seat. “Hank you know how much I appreciate what you did for me and for taking me in as your own daughter.” Voight nodded. “But Hank, I’m a grown ass woman and can make my own decisions about who I date and who I don’t.”

Hank knew this day would come one day, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. He’d been looking out for Erin for a long time, and she was his daughter in every sense of the word but blood. “What are you getting at Erin?”

“I want to be with Jay as more than his partner, but you’ve scared him off. He needs me more than ever now; he needs all of us more than ever and whether you give your blessing or not, we are going to be together. I don’t need your blessing to date in my personal life, but for work we do. I hope you give it because I would hate to have to transfer.” She saw how shocked Voight was and decided to explain more. “Jay loves his job, as do I, but I will not let you transfer him because we are dating. If anyone transfers it’ll be me.”

“Erin, no! I will not let you transfer because you were a part of this team long before Halstead came along. I told him to keep it in his pants, and if he hasn’t, he’s gone. No question about it.” 

Before he could go any further, Erin stood up. “Let’s get this one thing straight right now. Jay has kept it in his pants. We’ve never been anything more than partners. We haven’t officially said we are dating because of you, so if you want to be a hard ass because you want to keep control in my life, I will go talk to Platt right now. I will request a transfer and you will not be able to do anything about it. Jay and I will be together. It’s up to you whether we both stay with the team or if I leave.” 

She could see defeat in his eyes. She hated being like this with him, but she loved Jay and wanted to be with him. Hank sighed, “Keep it professional on the job, and I won’t say a word. But I expect an explanation for today. Like tomorrow. From both of you.” 

Erin went around the desk and hugged him. “And you will, Hank. Halstead will you fill you in.” 

With that, Erin went out the door. Hank sat back and sighed. He knew teaching her to stand up for herself and fight for what she believed in would come back to bite him in the ass one day, but she was right. Halstead was a good guy and deep down he knew Jay would treat her like the princess she was. 

Back at Jay’s apartment, Jay had gotten the bed completely together when he heard Jaylyn start to whimper. Luckily he was just in the kitchen looking over the papers Emmalyn left so he got to her pretty quickly. “Hi princess. Did you sleep good?” 

Jaylyn sorta nodded and lifted her arms up toward him. Jay picked her up and sat down on the couch with her. Jaylyn laid her head on his shoulder. “Where mommy?” 

Jay knew this would happen, but how do you tell a two year old that mommy was gone for good? “She had to work, baby. You’re going to be staying with daddy from now on.” Jaylyn nodded with tears in her eyes. “Mommy gone?” Jay wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Yes, baby. But daddy is going to take really good care of you, and love you every day.” Jaylyn nodded as she laid her head on his shoulder once more. 

“Hey JayJay, how would you like to see where daddy works and meet the people he works with tomorrow?” Jaylyn lifted her head and looked at him. “Reawwy?” “Yea. Daddy and Erin will take you. Erin works with daddy too, and everyone daddy works with will love you too JayJay.” 

Jaylyn snuggled closer to her daddy. “Wuv you dada.” 

“I love you too princess. Do you want to see your new room?” Jaylyn jumped up. “Come on, daddy put your bed together while you slept.” Jay and Jaylyn went to the spare room which would now be Jaylyn’s. Jaylyn just stood there looking at her bed. “Daddy’s going to get you a dresser to put all your clothes in and a toy box for all your toys. Would Jaylyn like some princess sheets to sleep on?” Jaylyn nodded. “JayJay a pwincess?” 

“Yes, baby, you are. You are daddy’s little princess. Come on JayJay. Let’s go get your bags and bring them in here.” Jaylyn followed Jay to the living room. Erin had been gone for three hours now, and he was beginning to think she wasn’t coming back. 

“Dada I hungwy.” 

“Ok well let’s go see what we have to eat.” Once in the kitchen, Jay picked Jaylyn up and set her on the bar. “I need you to sit really still ok?” Jaylyn nodded. Jay turned to look in the refrigerator. “Let’s see; do you like grilled cheese sandwiches?” 

“Uh huh.” 

“Ok so how about daddy fixes us a grilled cheese sandwiches while you go play in the living room.” 

“Otay” Jay set Jaylyn down and she took off for the living room. He got the stuff out and set it by the stove. Just as he got started cooking, he heard the front door open. He took off for the living room because he realized he never locked the door after Erin left. To his relief, he saw Erin coming through the door with several bags on her arms.

“What’s all this?” he asked. 

“Well I made a quick pit stop at the children’s store on my way back. I thought a few toys, new sheets and bedding, and a few new clothes would make someone’s day,” Erin said smiling from ear to ear. 

“Er, I’ll pay you back for all of this, really.” 

“You will do no such thing Jay Halstead. This is my treat for the little princess.” Hearing the word princess, Jaylyn came out from around the couch. “Pwincess? That’s me.” Erin and Jay both laughed. “That’s right baby girl. You are daddy’s princess,” Jay said as he scooped her up. 

“What do you say to Erin for all this stuff?” 

“Fank you Ewin.” 

“You’re welcome baby. JayJay, would you like to help me fix up your bed? I think I smell your daddy trying to cook.” Jay immediately set Jaylyn down and ran back to the kitchen. He had totally forgotten he had started the grilled cheeses. At least he liked his a little well done. Jay could hear the girls the giggling from the bedroom. Once he had the sandwiches done, he went to Jaylyn’s room. 

He stood in the doorway just watching them. The bed was made up with Cinderella sheets and the comforter had all the different princess on it. Erin had unpacked the toy bags and was sitting on the floor playing with Jaylyn who was dressed up like a princess. 

“Ewin, do you wuv my dada?” Leave it to his daughter to ask the tough questions first; he was anxious to see where this conversation went though. 

“Yes, JayJay I do.” 

“Does that mean you be my mommy now?”

“Ummm.. I don’t know JayJay. That’ll be up to your daddy. Even if I’m not your mommy, I’ll always be here for you. you can always come to me for anything.” 

“I wuv you Ewin.” 

“I love you too JayJay.” 

Erin wrapped Jaylyn in a hug and that’s when she noticed Jay standing in the doorway. “I think daddy has lunch ready pretty girl.” 

“Dada” Jaylyn said as she ran to her daddy. “Hey, baby, you ready to eat?” Jaylyn nodded. “Dada, Ewins nice.” 

“I think so too JayJay. Come on let’s go eat.” Jay set Jaylyn in her high chair while he and Erin ate at the bar. While they were eating, Erin looked over Jaylyn’s schedule and saw she was due a nap in an hour. Erin wondered if she would sleep since she slept so much that morning. 

“How’d it go with Voight?” Jay asked bringing Erin out of her thoughts. 

“Oh, um, it went good. He said to keep it professional on the job and he wouldn’t say anything. Oh, and he wants an explanation for today, and I told him you would explain tomorrow.” Jay was shocked to say the least. 

“Voight really said it was okay for us to date?” 

“Sure did. Don’t look so surprised Halstead. You knew I would handle him.” Jay just laughed.

“Dada!”

“Yes, baby?” 

“I done.” 

“Okay. Do you want to go watch some TV?” 

Jaylyn nodded. “I think someone is still sleepy,” Erin whispered to Jay as she nodded toward the schedule. Jay nodded as he got up to get Jaylyn out. “Go watch TV with her and I’ll clean up and then join you.”

Jay carried Jaylyn into the living room and set down on the couch with her. Mickey Mouse was on. Jaylyn laid her head in Jay’s lap. Within the hour, she was asleep. Erin walked in and picked her up. They carried her to her room and tucked her in. Jay kissed her on top of the head and followed Erin out. They left her door open so they could hear her when she awoke. 

Erin snuggled into Jay on the couch. “Halstead, you are pretty amazing.” 

“So are you Er.” He leaned down to kiss her, and she straddled his lap. “Er, what are you doing?” 

“I’m making out with you,” she said with a grin. 

“I can see that, but what happened to a date first?” 

“Plans change. I realized today that I’ve always loved you and that is not going to change by going on a first date. I saw you with Jaylyn today, and how amazing you are with her. It showed me that I want this, all of this, with you.” 

Jay wrapped his arms around her; picked her up, and carried her to the bedroom. “What about Jaylyn?” he asked. 

“She’s asleep Jay. We’ll hear her if she wakes. 

“Can you be quiet?” he asked with a chuckle. 

“Of course, Jay Halstead!” 

He’d stripped her of her clothes before he laid her down on the bed. “You’re so perfect Erin, so beautiful.” Jay began kissing down her chest. “mmm so perfect,” he said as he pulled her bra off. He kissed around each breast being careful not to touch her nipples. Erin was moaning at his teasing. 

“Remember you gotta be quiet,” he said as he blew cool air across each nipple. He watched as they got harder. “MMM, Jay, please,” Erin begged. He circled one nipple and then the other before taking the first one between his lips. He put his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming out. He repeated the same motions on her other nipple. He could feel her bucking against him. 

Erin reached down to strip him. Once she had his pants off, she patted the bed beside her. Jay just shook his head; “Oh, no, missy, this is all about you.” Before he got “you” all the way out, Erin flipped them so she was now straddling him. Jay could feel her wetness through their underwear. “Erin, baby, I was really trying to make this all about you, make it special this first time.” 

“I know, but I don’t do slow,” she said with a wink. She shimmied out of her panties right before she pulled his boxers off. Jay flipped them back over and kissed down her perfectly toned stomach. He ran his finger down between her legs. He knew she was wet, but he wanted to see how wet. 

He brushed his finger down over her clit and spread her wetness all around. “Jay, please,” Erin begged. She reached down and grabbed him, trying to guide him in her. He stopped right before he pushed in; “Erin, I love you so much.” Right as he started pushing in, he stopped. Erin had a confused look on her face as he started to roll off of her. “Jay, what’s wrong?” she asked fearing she had done something wrong. 

He reached for the bedside table pulling out a condom. “Jay, I’m on the pill; we don’t need that.” Jay sighed as he rolled back on top of her. “Sorry for scaring you,” he whispered. He ran his finger back down through her wetness. “Jay, please, just fuck me,” Erin begged. 

Jay kissed her on the lips. “You are so perfect,” he said as he pushed all the way in. “MMMM Jay,” she moaned. Jay started out moving slowly; in and out, in and out. She was so tight and so wet. He felt like a teenager all over again because he didn’t know how long he was going to last. 

“Faster, Jay, faster,” Erin pleaded. Jay moved faster and faster still. Erin wrapped her legs around him, just making her that much tighter around him. Erin could feel Jay’s control starting to slip as he got faster and harder. She ran her fingers through his hair and said the words she knew would make him snap; “Make me come Jay. Make me come with you.” 

That’s all it took for Jay to lose control. He was thrusting wildly into her but she was keeping up. He angled his hips to hit her g-spot over and over. He could feel her tightening around him. “Come for me, baby, come,” Jay whispered into her ear. He felt her muscles contract and he kissed her lips to swallow her cries as he came with her. 

He was careful not to crush her when they were done. He rolled over onto his side and pulled her with him. “Erin, you are mine forever,” he said as he kissed her on the lips. 

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” she whispered. They stay snuggled together until Jay heard Jaylyn starting to stir almost two hours later. They were definitely going to invest in a baby monitor that week.


	9. Chapter 9

Later that night, Jay and Erin gave Jaylyn a bath and got her ready for bed. Once she was in bed, Jay and Erin laid down too. “I never knew a child required so much energy.” Erin chuckled as she laid her head on Jay’s chest. “What are we going to do tomorrow?” she asked. 

Jay rolled over and grabbed his phone. “I text the sitter earlier and she said we could drop JayJay off at 7:30.” Erin nodded. “We can be at work about 8/8:15 and talk to Voight.” Jay nodded at this. It wasn’t long before they were both asleep. Keeping up with JayJay had worn them out..

The next morning Jay heard Jaylyn crying about 6:30. He squeezed out of bed around Erin and went to Jaylyn’s room. Once there he saw his baby girl lying in the bed crying. “What’s wrong baby?” he asked as he picked her up. “Mommy gone, mommy gone.” Jaylyn cried. Jay sat down on her bed holding her and rocked her back & forth, back & forth. “I know baby, but daddy’s here and he is going to love you and take very good care of you.” Jay kept rocking her back and forth. “It’s going to be okay baby, I promise.” 

Once Jaylyn settled down, he carried her into his room. Erin was just waking up when he set her down in bed. Jaylyn scrambled out of Jay’s arms and snuggled close to Erin. “Well good morning JayJay.”

“Ewin, you my mommy?” Jaylyn asked. 

“Umm, do you want me to be?” She knew it was crazy asking a two year old, but she hadn’t talked to Jay about it. 

“You here and wuv dada so you wuv me. Mommy said you would. She weft and you here” Erin and Jay exchanged a look. She was smart for a two year old. 

“Okay JayJay. If you want me to be your mommy and your daddy is okay with it, I will be.” Jaylyn threw herself at Erin and Erin wrapped her in a hug. 

“Okay princess, daddy and Erin have to work today, so you are going to stay with Ms. Kristy.” Jaylyn nodded. “Come on; let’s get you ready while Erin gets ready.” Jaylyn jumped into Jay’s arms and he took her to get ready. He had her dressed and sitting in a high chair eating oatmeal when Erin came into the kitchen. “JayJay, I’m going to go get ready now. So finish eating and be good for Erin.” 

Jaylyn nodded as she continued to eating. Erin fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat down next to Jaylyn. 

“Ewin, you reawwy my mommy now? I not have one.” Erin managed to keep her tears at bay, but just barely. “Of course princess. I’ll always be here for you.” 

Once Jaylyn finished eating, Erin cleaned her up and took her to the living room. She packed Jaylyn’s diaper bag and was waiting on Jay. When Jay came out, he found his girls sitting on the couch with Erin reading Jaylyn a princess book. He cleared his throat, “Come on girls. We’re going to be late.” Jay picked Jaylyn up and Erin grabbed the diaper bag and car seat. “One car?” she asked. Jay nodded and they left. 

At the babysitter’s, Jaylyn was reluctant to let Jay and Erin leave, but Kristy took her into the play room. Jaylyn finally settled in enough to let them leave. On the way to work, Erin could see Jay was in deep thought. “She’s going to be okay Jay. She knows Kristy and Kristy knows to call if there is any kind of problem.” 

“I know. It’s just going to take some getting used to.” Erin grabbed his hand; “I know, but it’ll get easier. We’ll get a routine down, and everything will work out.” Jay nodded as he parked at the precinct. 

Once inside they let go of each other’s hands. They hadn’t gone public yet, and they wanted to at their own pace. Once upstairs, Jay went straight for Voight’s office. No one else was there yet, so Erin hung back. This was Jay’s news to share, and she would wait for one of them to need her. 

Voight was sitting at his desk, and when he say Jay at the door, he motioned him in. “Halstead, glad to see your back. I assume you’re in here to explain about yesterday?”

“Of course, sir. I, um, was handed a surprise the night before. You might have heard that my ex was back from under cover.” When Voight nodded, Jay continued. “Well anyways, the night before she told me I had a two year old daughter that she was leaving with me in the morning to go back under cover. I needed Erin for support and help because I know nothing about kids, much less little girls.” 

The surprise was obvious on Voight’s face. “I know, it was a surprise to me too. She’s at the sitter’s today and I don’t foresee any problems or fear she will interfere with my work.” 

“Halstead, I get it. I have a kid too.” Jay and Hank shared a laugh. “Of course, right, sorry. I’m still trying to get used to it.” 

Hank nodded. “Welcome to fatherhood. We’re all here for you, anything you need.” Jay let out a big sigh of relief. “Thank you, sir, it means a lot.” 

“Does she have a name, Jay?” 

“Oh, right, yea. It’s Jaylyn Faith but she usually goes by JayJay. Here, here’s a picture of her.” 

“She’s beautiful Halstead. Now I know Erin told you about our talk yesterday and before you say anything, hear me out. Erin made it very clear that yall were together and I couldn’t stop you. She also said nothing had happened before yesterday and that if I didn’t give my blessing for this, she would transfer because you were worth it.” Jay was a little surprised. Erin never said anything about transferring. “Before you jump to conclusions, hear me out. Erin isn’t transferring anywhere. I told her if yall kept it professional on the job then it was fine. So I just wanted to say that and that you treat her right. But just know, if you break her heart, Halstead, and they will never ever find a single part of your body.” Jay nodded; he had seen Voight’ wrath before and knew he was speaking the truth. “Now go reassure Erin that I didn’t just rip you apart before everyone gets here.” 

Jay chuckled as he walked out of the door. Before he got too far, Erin asked, “Well?” 

“Everything’s fine, Er. He was happy for me about JayJay & he told me that he gave you his blessing & that we just needed to keep it professional.” Erin sighed as she wrapped Jay in a hug. About the time she did it, Ruzek & Dawson came walking up the steps. 

“SEE! I told you something was going on between them!” 

“Shut up Ruzek! You don’t know what that was about.” 

“Should we tell them?” Jay whispered. 

Erin nodded; “Might as well. Once they meet JayJay she will tell them all about how I’m her mommy now.” Jay chuckled.

Once Olinsky and Atwater arrived, Jay got everyone’s attention. 

“Okay guys listen. I need to explain where Erin and I were yesterday. As you all know, my ex, Emmalyn, was back in town. Well night before last, she met me at Molly’s for a chat. Anyways, she told me that we had a two year old daughter that she’d kept secret from me because she was under cover. She also told me that the next morning, which was yesterday, that she was bringing my daughter to live with me and she was signing all her rights away because she was going back under. I asked Erin to be there because I don’t know much about kids, much less little girls.” 

Everyone was silent for a minute. 

“What’s her name, Jay?” Antonio asked. 

“Jaylyn Faith, but she usually goes by JayJay. Here I have a picture.” Everyone gathered around to look at Jay’s picture. 

“She’s gorgeous Jay.”

“Yea, she looks just like you.” 

“Thanks guys. It’s taking some getting used to.” 

“Any help you need, just let me know,” Alvin offered. 

“Yea, I’ve got a little girl too,” Antonio added. 

Jay nodded. “Oh there’s something else,” Erin added. Once they all looked at her, she spoke. “Jay and I are a couple now, and Hank knows so it’s not a secret. JayJay thinks I'm supposed to be her mommy now because her mommy left. So don’t be surprised if she calls me mommy. We’re taking it a day at a time, trying to adjust.”

“I TOLD YALL!” Ruzek said. Antonio and Atwater pulled out their wallets. 

“Seriously guys?”

“Yall were betting on us?”

Olinsky nodded. “They sure were. They both thought, Ruzek here, was wrong, and I remained neutral.”

Jay and Erin laughed, and about this time, Voight walked out of his office. “Suit up. We got a call from CFD needing assistance. They believe O’Hare has been bombed & there could be another one inside.” Jay and Erin exchanged a look. This could turn out to be a long night. 

In the car on the way over, Jay sent Kristy a text. “Just caught a case. Could be a long night. We have reason to believe O’Hare has been attacked. How’s JayJay?”

He got a reply really quick. “I understand. Emmalyn explained your situation before she left. Jaylyn has stayed the night with me before so it won’t be a problem. She has been good. Just give me a call if you don’t think you will be able to get her tonight, and you can talk to her before bed.”

Jay didn’t get a chance to respond before they pulled up at O’Hare. Voight went straight to Boden to find out the situation. Jay took in the scene around him. There was smoke everywhere, and people where running trying to get out of harm’s way. Boden let Voight know that Cruz and Mills were looking for the other bomb, and Voight shared that bomb squad should be right behind them. 

Just as he returned to brief his team, there was a loud explosion. Jay covered Erin as they were thrown to the ground. He felt debris falling around them and said a prayer that they would make it back to Jaylyn tonight.


	10. Chapter 10

Once the debris stopped falling, Jay tried shifting off Erin. He felt something heavy on his legs and realized he couldn’t move far. “Hey, Erin?” he was met with silence. “Erin?” he said a little louder. Still nothing. “ERIN!!!” he said as he shook her just a little. He knew he didn’t need to move her in case she was seriously hurt, but he was starting to freak out. Very softly, he heard he moan a little. “Erin, baby, please answer me.” 

“J..jjay?” she asked.

“I’m right here. Are you okay?” 

“I think so.” 

“Can you roll over?” he asked. 

“Yea, hang on.” Erin slowly turned over. 

Jay noticed she had a cut on her forehead that was bleeding. “Erin, your head has a cut. I can’t tell if it’s deep or anything, but I need you to put pressure on it, okay?” Erin nodded as she reached up to try and stop the bleeding. “You remember what happened? Where you are?” he asked. 

“Yeah. We’re at O’Hare because it’s been bombed and another one exploded. You covered me as we were thrown.” 

Jay nodded. “Jay, why aren't you moving?” she asked. 

“Well, I think my leg is penned because I can’t really move it, and it’s sorta numb.” Erin got a look of panic on her face. “So we’re trapped?” she asked.

“Kinda, but I’m sure they will find us soon, babe. Don’t panic because I'm right here with you.” Jay knew how much she hated tight spaces and telling her she was trapped probably wasn’t the smartest thing, but he didn’t want to lie to her either. He had no idea how deep they were buried or what was going on outside. He just prayed they were found quickly. 

Back outside:

Voight was looking around for his team. Antonio and Atwater were walking toward him. They looked to be unhurt. “Did you two see O, Ruzek, Jay, or Erin?” Antonio shook his head no. “Okay, let’s spread out and start looking for them. CFD has a lot to handle so, let’s help out as much as possible.” This was not how Voight thought his day was going to go. 

A couple hours later:

Voight had found Olinsky and Ruzek. They were buried under some debris, and except for a few scratches they were both unharmed. They were still looking for Jay and Erin. He was really starting to worry. He did not want to have to break a little girl’s heart when he didn’t even know her yet. Jay and Erin had to be fine. 

Underneath the rubble, Jay could tell Erin was starting to panic. They had been buried for who knows how long, and it was really starting to take its toll. His leg had gone completely numb, and the position he was having to sit in was very uncomfortable. “Erin, hey, look at me.” Erin looked up at him. “It’s going to be okay. Voight has always come to your rescue and this time will not be any different.” Erin nodded. 

“How’s your head?” 

“It’s okay. I think the bleeding has stopped for the most part, but I have a terrible headache. I just want to go to sleep.” 

“I know, baby, but you can’t. We’re not sure what kind of damage the cut has caused so I can’t let you sleep.” 

“I know,” she said as she laid her head on his shoulder. 

Jay could sorta hear someone talking above them, but he had no idea who it was. 

“HEY! DOWN HERE! SOMEONE HELP US!” he started yelling. “Erin tried pushing up on some of the rubble as Jay continued yelling. They hoped to make enough racket that someone would notice. 

“Guys, stop!” Casey yelled. “I think someone is under here,” he yelled to his team. Hermann and Severide came running. The noise they heard was faint, but surely there was someone down there. They started moving debris. Severide made a hole small enough to see down. “Hello?” he called out. 

Jay heard Severide’s voice and yelled back, “Kelly, that you?” 

“Yea, who’s down here?” 

“It’s Jay and Erin. We’re trapped. My leg is penned under something and has gone numb. Erin has a cut on her head. We think we got the bleeding to stop but she has a killer headache and wants to go to sleep.” Jay tried to give them as much info as possible so they could be ready to help them. 

“Okay, y’all hang tight. We’re gonna get you out of there soon. Try to keep Erin awake.” 

“Will do. Just get us out of here. Oh, and tell Voight you found us.” 

Casey was already on the radio. “Chief, we found Halstead and Lindsay; let Voight know. We need Dawson and Shay on standby. Halstead is penned and Lindsay has a cut on her head and a headache.” 

“Copy Casey. Sending Dawson and Shay your way.” 

Severide had already given his men orders for the plan on getting the detectives out. “Halstead, can you cover yalls heads with this blanket? We’re going to have to cut our way down.” 

“Sure.” Kelly dropped a blanket down to them. “Erin, scoot closer. I know you’re not going to like this, but we have to do it to get out.” Erin scooted a little closer. Jay laid the blanket over their heads. “Okay Severide, we’re covered.” 

Jay heard the saws start. “Just a little bit longer, baby. We’ll be out of here before you know it.” Erin didn’t answer. 

“Erin? Baby, wake up. You can’t sleep.” Erin still didn’t answer. Jay shook her just a little. “Come on, Er, don’t do this to me. I need you; JayJay needs you.” Jay felt her move a little. “Come, on Er, wake up!” 

Everything went quiet. Jay felt the blanket lifted off of them. “Okay, Halstead, we’re going to send Erin up on the backboard and then cut you the rest of the way out,”   
Kelly said. Jay nodded. “I think Erin just passed out. She was awake until I covered us, but then she stopped answering me.” Kelly nodded. 

“Shay, Lindsay has passed out. We need to get her out of here now.” 

“Copy that Kelly; we’re ready.” Casey sent down the basket. Kelly wrapped a neck brace around her neck and strapped her into the basket. “She’s secure. Get her out of her Casey.” Jay watched as Erin was slowly pulled out of their hell hole. He prayed she was okay because he was never going to make it without her. When Kelly turned back, Jay had tears on his face. “She’ll be okay. Dawson and Shay are the best.” 

“I know.” 

“Okay detective, let’s get you out now.” 

Kelly handed Jay some goggles to put on. He wrapped the blanket around his upper body to keep from injuring him anymore. “I hear congratulations are in order?” he asked Jay. 

Jay actually smiled. “Yea, Jaylyn is great. I just need to get home to her.” 

“Copy that detective. Just sit tight and I’ll get you out of here. It’s gonna hurt like hell when I get this off your leg but try to stay awake for me. Think of Jaylyn or Erin, whatever works. I just need you to try and stay awake.” Jay nodded. 

Kelly turned the other way to begin cutting Jay out. The more Kelly cut, the more his leg hurt. It was becoming difficult to keep from passing out as he began to really feel his leg again. He thought of Jaylyn at home with the babysitter. All he wanted was to get home, hug his baby girl, and be with Erin. He began thinking about proposing to Erin and making them a real family. He knew he loved her and wanted her forever, and the more his leg hurt, the more he thought about how he wanted to marry Erin before he died! He wanted more kids with her, even if he never worked intelligence again, he wanted everything with Erin. That was his last thought before he passed out. 

Several hours later

Jay woke up in the hospital. His leg was in a cast, and the room was dark. He wanted to see Erin. He swung his legs over the bed and just as he was fixing to get up, Antonio walked in. “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, there buddy. You are in no condition to be up walking. Let me get your doctor,” he said as he helped him lay back down. “Erin?” Jay asked. 

“She’s okay. A slight concussion and 15 stitches.” She’s out in the waiting room with Jaylyn. They discharged her about an hour and a half ago, and she went and got Jaylyn from the sitter. She’s been waiting for you to wake up because she didn’t want Jaylyn to see you asleep.” Jay nodded. “Will you get them?” Antonio nodded as he walked out the door. 

A few minutes later, Erin and Jaylyn walked through the door. “Dada!” Jaylyn squealed. Erin picked her up before she could jump on the bed. “Remember what we said about being careful with daddy because he was hurt?” JayJay nodded. “Okay well I’ll sit you down but you have to be really careful ok?” JayJay nodded.

Erin sat her down next to Jay. “Hey baby girl. Were you a good girl yesterday?” JayJay nodded. “That’s good.” 

“How are you?” Erin asked. “Better now that you two are here.” 

“You really scared me Jay.” 

“I know, and I’m sorry. You scared me too.”

“I’m fine. Just have to watch for signs. They said it was a slight concussion so I’ll be fine.” 

Jay nodded. Jaylyn was curled into her daddy’s side almost asleep. 

“What time is it?” Jay asked. 

“A little after 11 at night. You were only out for like four hours including surgery time.” Jay nodded. 

“You can take JayJay home and sleep if you want.” 

“I’m not leaving. The doctor said we could stay which is why there is an extra bed in here.” 

Jay nodded. He looked down at his sleeping baby girl. “Erin, I love you both so much. I realized how much I wanted everything with you right before I passed out. You’re going to make a great mother to JayJay and all the other kids we’ll have.” Erin had tears in her eyes. “I know this definitely not the ideal place, but just know one day I am going to propose and marry you. I love you so much Erin.” 

“I love you too Jay.” She leaned over and kissed him. “Come on, we all need our rest. Tomorrow you should get to go home.” Jay kissed her one more time. She picked Jaylyn up and crawled in the other bed with her. “Sleep tight Jay. We’ll be here when you wake up.” 

“You too Er. I love you.” he whispered as he drifted off from the pain medicine. 

Erin smiled as she lay in bed. Jay was everything she thought she’d never have, and Jaylyn was the perfect addition. She kissed the baby’s head. “I love you JayJay,” and she drifted off too.


	11. Chapter 11

6 weeks later

It was Jay’s first day back to work. He was still in a walking boot, but he was cleared for light duty. He wasn’t going to be thrilled sitting behind the desk all day, but he needed to be back to work. He loved the time he got to spend with JayJay & he felt he got to really know his little girl in the 6 weeks he was off work, but he missed work. JayJay was starting to talk more and he watched more than enough of Frozen & Dora than he cared to admit. JayJay had seemed to adjust to her new life really well; she rarely asked about Emmalyn, and had attached really well with Erin. 

Over the 6 weeks, he fell more in love with Erin every day. She had been patient with him when he was mad about not being able to do anything, she was a great mom to JayJay, and through it all she was sticking with him. What more could he ask for? He knew it was too soon to be asking Voight for his blessing to marry her, but damnit if that wasn’t all he seemed to think about during his free time. 

Everyone welcomed him back. Voight called him into his office once everyone got back to work. Jay tried thinking of something he could’ve done to already piss him off, but he was drawing a blank. Being called into the boss’s office was always nerve wracking to Jay, especially since it could be about Erin. 

“How are you doing?” Voight asked. 

“Good. I’ll be glad to be out of this boot though.” Voight shared a chuckle with him. 

“No need to be scared Halstead. I just wanted to see how you were & how Jaylyn was.” Jay released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. “She’s good. Didn’t want to go to the babysitter’s this morning, but I tried to keep her on her daily schedule while I was off so she should be okay today.” 

“Good. Listen, I just wanted to say if you and Erin wanted to go out on a real date one night, I’d be glad to keep Jaylyn.” Jay was little shocked. He knew Voight allowed their relationship because Erin had more or less told him he had to, but it was almost like Voight was encouraging them. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” Jay didn’t know whether to bring up the issue of the ring or not, but he decided to take a chance since Voight seemed to be in such an accepting mood.

“There is one thing I wanted to run by you,” Jay said nervously. Voight just nodded. “I know it is way too soon to be thinking this way, but the more time I spend with Erin and the more I see her with JayJay, the more I want her to be a permanent part of our lives. I'm not saying I'm buying a ring tonight or tomorrow because I haven’t even run this idea by Erin yet, I just wanted you to know that I'm going to be asking your permission to marry Erin and I hope you will give your blessing when the time comes. I know it would mean a lot to Erin to know that you gave it.” 

Jay was nervous. Voight wasn’t saying anything. It was quite in the office for five minutes before Voight made any acknowledgment of what Jay had just said. “When the time comes, Halstead, I will give my blessing if I know it is for sure what Erin wants. I'm as close to a father has any Erin ever had & I just gained so much more respect for you, for asking me, when the decision is really Erin’s.” 

“I know how much she looks up to & respects you. I just want to do right by her.” 

Voight nodded. “We’ll talk more about this when the time comes. For now why don’t you get caught up on your paperwork until we catch a case.” Jay nodded as he walked out the door. Erin was giving him a funny look as he came back to his desk, but he just gave her a reassuring smile. He now knew when the time came Voight would definitely give his blessing. 

Later that night, he picked up Jaylyn from the babysitter; she had cried for an hour straight after he left, but she finally settled down and was her normal self the rest of the day. It was still early when he picked her up so he knew she would want to play for a while when he got her home. Erin had picked take-out up on her way home, so supper was waiting on them. He couldn’t wait to get home to Erin and just kiss her senseless. Voight’s approval had left him in such a good mood all day, and he just wanted to spend time with his woman and daughter. 

When he got home, he sat JayJay down. She took off running to the kitchen yelling for “mama.” Jay smiled. The kid didn’t know any better & he was glad for it. He could hear Erin and JayJay talking about her day. Well mainly Erin was talking and Jaylyn was babbling. He would be so glad when she started stringing complete, coherent sentences together. Then he would probably wish she would be quiet. He chuckled to himself. He was just glad to be able to watch her grow up and have Erin with him.   
He noticed the mail on the table and started going through it. There was one envelope that had caught his attention. It was from his CO in the Rangers. He was afraid this letter was going to ruin his good mood so he set it to the side; he’d deal with it later. 

He went to the kitchen to find his girls sitting at the bar waiting on him. Erin had picked up pizza knowing JayJay loved it. After dinner, they set on the couch watching JayJay play. Erin was curled into his side. “I love you so much Jay.” 

Jay kissed the top of her head. “I love you so much Erin Lindsay. I have no idea how I would have managed without you. You are my best friend and the love of my life.” He started nuzzling her neck. Erin cleared her throat. “Jay, we can’t right now. Jaylyn is in here.” Jay chuckled. “You’re right. But as soon as the muchkin is in bed, you are all mine. I have wanted you all day,” he whispered into her ear. Erin let out a breathy sigh. “I wanted to lay you out on your desk while everyone was on lunch, and I wanted to wrap your legs around me as I spread your lips with my tongue. I wanted to lick you up and down until you came all over my face; then I wanted to bend you over your desk and take you from behind until you screamed my name. I’ve wanted you all day.” Erin was squirming on the couch. “Jay,” she sighed out. 

“Later,” he said as he got up from the couch. “You’re such a tease,” she said as he picked up JayJay. She had fallen asleep in the floor watching one of her princess movies. He carried her to her bed. Erin came in as he was laying her down. He tucked the covers around her. “Daddy loves you so much princess. I’ll always be here for you and I’m enjoying watching you grow and change every day. Sweet dreams JayJay. I love you.” He kissed her forehead and got up. It was only then that he saw Erin in the doorway with tears in her eyes. She went and kissed JayJay goodnight.

“Er, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” 

“Because, Jay, you are the greatest dad and JayJay is so lucky to have you. So am I.” Jay kissed her tears away. He picked her up and carried her to their bedroom. He kicked the door closed, and pinned her up against it. There was something special happening tonight and he wanted this to be perfect for Erin. 

He kissed her all over and when she couldn’t take it anymore and was begging for him to take her, her laid her out on the bed and crawled on top of her. He made love to her over and over until he took her over the edge more than once. It was only after she had fallen asleep from exhaustion, that he remembered the letter. He got out of bed and went to the living room. He didn’t want to open it, but he knew he had to. He sat down on the couch & opened it.


	12. Chapter 12

Jay sat on the couch re-reading the letter. The Army had received his change of information; Erin was added as his next of kin-he got away with that by saying she was his fiancée- & Jaylyn was added his daughter which automatically added her to his insurance. The second page was what was putting Jay on edge. His “reserve” status had just been upgraded to official alert. Depending on the outcome of the conference in London on ISIS, would determine if he was deployed or not. 

His corps, the Rangers, was the best the Army had, and if they deployed he had no choice but to go. He needed to talk to Voight tomorrow. He never thought he’d be asking his boss to pull favors to keep him from a deployment, but things change. He had Jaylyn to think about and Erin too, and he’d be damned if he left them for extended periods of time with no guarantee of coming home alive. 

He let out a deep sigh. Another envelop on the table caught his attention. It was Chicago City Courts. He opened it. It was a formal letter letting him know that the proper papers had been filed, and Chicago granted him full and sole custody of Jaylyn Faith Halstead. The papers stated that the mother had signed all rights away, and when the time came, he was free to let someone adopted Jaylyn if he so chose. 

After the letter from his CO, he was struggling to find the good in the news that Jaylyn was only his responsibility. He let out another deep sigh without realizing Erin was watching him. It wasn’t until he felt her sit down beside him on the couch did he even realize she was awake. “What’s wrong, Jay?”

He didn’t want to lie to her, but how did he tell her the news. “Well out of this mail, the good news is Chicago officially recognizes that JayJay is mine and mine alone. Emmalyn’s rights have officially been terminated.” 

“That’s great Jay,” Erin said happily. When Jay didn’t give a happy response she continued, “But there’s bad news in the mail too?” Jay was quite for a minute too long. “Come on, Jay, it’s just me, your best friend. What’s wrong?” 

“I… uh… I…. um… I got a letter from my Ranger CO today. They added JayJay to my insurance and updated all my information like they do once a year. I also got a letter officially bumping my status from reserve to official alert. Depending on the ISIS conference in London will determine if we are deployed or bumped back down to reserve.” Erin wasn’t saying anything so he ventured a look at her. She had tears in her eyes. He pulled her into his lap, “Shhh, baby, don’t cry. I'm going to talk to Voight and see if he can pull strings to keep me here. I'm going to do everything I possibly can to stay here with you and Jaylyn. You both have become my world, and I don’t think I’d make it months on end without you two.”

Erin took a deep breath. “It’s ok, Jay. If you have to go, I want to keep Jaylyn. I’d be someone stable and someone she loves. I think it would be best for her. I don’t want you to go any more than you want to, but if you have to, we’ll be okay. Jay kissed her forehead, “I’ll talk to Voight tomorrow.” Erin nodded. “Hey, Er” Jay whispered, “Would you like to go on that first date tomorrow night?” She gave him a funny look, “And just what would we do with JayJay?” 

“Voight volunteered to babysit anytime we needed today while I was in his office.” The look of surprise on her face probably mirrored his today when Voight offered. “Ok then,” she said with a giggle. “I say yes then.” 

“Good. Make sure to dress up and wear something sexy.” Erin kissed him. “Come on, detective, take me back to bed.” 

“Yes mam” and Jay picked her up and carried her to bed. 

The next day, Jay and Erin got to work early. They drove separate so he could get JayJay after work, but they arrived at the district at the same time. Voight’s door was open and no one else was there yet so he rapped his knuckles on the door frame before entering. 

“What can I do for you Halstead?” 

“I was wondering if you had a minute to talk.” 

“Sure come on in.” Jay closed the door behind him. Voight raised his eyebrows, “Well this must be serious.” Jay nodded. “What’s on your mind, Jay?” 

“Well I got two important letters yesterday; one good, one not so good. The one is that Chicago officially gave me full and sole custody of Jaylyn. Emmalyn’s rights have officially been terminated.” 

“Well that’s great, but I get the feeling you want to talk about the second letter.” 

Jay nodded. “Well see, I got a letter from my CO. The first page was just updating my information and adding JayJay to my insurance. The second page of the letter was informing me my status had been bumped from reserve to official alert. Depending on the conference in London will determine deployment or not. I really do not want to go. I love my life right now; I'm just starting to settle into a nice routine with Jaylyn and Erin for that matter. I don’t want to leave the team, or JayJay or Erin if I'm being honest. This is my life, the girls have become my whole world, and I don’t know what to do.” Jay’s eyes were glassy, but he blinked the tears away. Voight definitely did not need to see him cry about this. He just didn’t realize Voight had already seen the glassiness before Jay blinked them away. He really felt sorry for the young detective. He finally had his world like he wanted it with the woman of his dreams and a baby, and the Army was fixing to uproot it. 

Voight was thinking about life with Camille and he was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, what Jay and Erin had was special like what he had with Camille before she passed. He was going to do everything he could to keep Jay here; he was afraid of what it would do to Erin, but more so his little girl. She’d already suffered one big change and a loss of a parent, but she had seemed to become really attached to her daddy, and she did not need to lose him too. 

“I’ll talk to Al when he gets here, and figure out how we go about getting your status bumped back down. Just know we might not be successful, but we will do everything we can Jay. I can promise you that.” 

“Understood, sir.”

“Does Erin know?” Voight asked. He needed to know if this was just between him & Jay or if she knew. 

“Yes, sir. I told her last night once I read it.”

“How’d she take it?”

“She obviously doesn’t want me to go, but she said if I had to that it would be okay. She wants to keep Jaylyn if I have to go. I think it would be a good idea, but I don’t want to cross the bridge too soon.”

Voight nodded. “I’ll let you know once we know something. Just hang in there kid. If we can’t prevent your deployment, we’ll all be there to pitch in and help with Jaylyn. She will not go into foster care, and she most definitely will not go back to her biological mother. Those are two promises I can make you and can keep.” 

“Thank you, sir. I want to talk to Erin tonight about the future. I'm not proposing or asking your blessing yet, I just want to make sure her and I are on the same page. So we were wondering if you would be willing to keep JayJay. I know you said you would yesterday we just wanted to make sure. If you have plans I can see if her sitter can. It would only be for an hour or two.” 

“I'm free Jay. I’d be glad to keep her all night if you needed.” Jay was a little speechless at first, but he recovered quickly. “Maybe next time. Until I know for sure if I'm deploying or not, I’d like to spend as much time with her as possible.” 

“Understood. Anything else?” 

Jay nodded no and he got up to go. “Thanks, Voight. I really mean it.” 

“Don’t mention it kid.” 

Atwater, Ruzek and Antonio had shown up since Jay had been in with Voight. To keep from having to announce their date to the whole unit, he decided to just send Erin a text. “All good for tonight. We’ll take JayJay over after shift. Xoxo” 

Erin looked up and gave him a smile so he knew she read it. They got to work on paper work. Jay couldn’t wait for tonight. He prayed Erin was on the same page as him because if not it was going to break him in two. He hoped she wanted to be Jaylyn’s mommy forever. Until then he needed to stay busy.


	13. Chapter 13

Shift had been relatively quiet. They never actually caught a case, so they got out on time. Erin went on home to start getting ready, while Jay went to get JayJay. He already had her stuff to go to Voight’s, but she was already asking “where mama was,” so he decided to go on home and get Erin. Plus it would let him have time to get dressed up. He set Jaylyn down once inside the door and she took off to find Erin. 

He heard her once she found Erin. “Ooooo mama pweety.” 

“Why, thank you baby. Daddy & I are going to go out to eat tonight. How would you like to go play with Grandpa Hank?” They had not left her at night before so they were hoping by leaving her with Hank she would be okay for an hour or two. “You come back?” 

“Of course we will come back for you pretty girl. We would never leave you.” 

“Otay then” and JayJay was happy again. Hearing Erin refer to Hank as “grandpa” made him happy; obviously she was planning on sticking around for a while. After getting his clothes out of the closet he went to the bathroom. “Wow…. Er… You’re…. Uh… Yea, stunningly beautiful.” 

“Thanks, Jay” Erin said shyly. Jay was still looking her up and down. That little red dress was going to be his undoing tonight. Maybe they needed to leave JayJay with Hank tonight, but Erin promised they would come back so maybe not tonight but definitely one night soon! She kissed his cheek as she walked by to allow him to get ready. “I’ll go keep JayJay busy while you get ready. Hank said she could eat with him so make it quick.” Jay nodded as he jumped in the shower, a cold shower at that.

When he got out, he could JayJay signing along with Frozen. Of course she picked that movie to watch; he’d be so glad when that movie lost its popularity. The songs were killing him, but he didn’t have the heart to hide the movie from JayJay. He quickly dressed in dress pants, dress shirt, and a sports coat. He was already to take his lady out on the town.

He went out to find his girls curled up on the couch. Jaylyn now had a princess dress on. When she saw him her face lit up; “Dada I look like mama.” 

“You sure do baby. Are you ready to go?” Jaylyn nodded as Erin got up to get her coat. Jay grabbed JayJay’s bag on the way out. He had brought it in and added a few things to it. It was now stuffed full of anything and everything Voight might possibly need. Once in the car, Jaylyn babbled/talked the whole way to Hank’s. Jay didn’t know if she was really that excited or if she was nervous about them leaving her at night. Once there, Erin grabbed Jaylyn before he was even around the car so he grabbed her diaper bag. 

Erin used her key and they went in. “Hank, we’re here.” 

“In the kitchen,” he called back. Jaylyn had gotten really quiet once they got out of the car and was hiding her head in Erin’s shoulder. She was still pretty shy around people she didn’t know so well. “Well who is this princess I see?” 

JayJay kept her head hidden in Erin’s shoulder. “It’s ok JayJay. You remember Grandpa Hank.” Erin encouraged. Jaylyn finally looked up at him. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Well hi there princess.” 

“I dressed like mama,” JayJay announced. 

“Well, I guess you are. You both look beautiful. Do you like grilled cheese, Princess Jaylyn?” 

JayJay nodded yes. Grilled cheese had become one of her favorite meals lately. “Well good. Would you like to eat with me then? I made my special grilled cheese just for you. Your mama there used to love when I made my special grilled cheeses.” Jaylyn finally reached for him. Hank took her with ease; “Well, I'm so glad you decided to join me. I was really hoping a princess would join me for dinner.”

Jaylyn giggled; “Grandpa you silly. I not a real pwincess. I just dressed like one.” 

“Ah! Really? I thought you were a real princess?..” Hank feigned shock. They kept going back and forth. Jay was really surprised to see this side of Hank. No wonder Erin looked up to him so much. He’d probably been the best dad to her ever. Erin slipped her hand into his; “Come on, she’ll be okay now.” 

Jay nodded. “Let’s at least say good-bye.” Erin nodded. Hank had put Jaylyn in a booster seat at the table beside him. 

“Bye, baby girl. You be good and listen to Grandpa. We’ll see you later tonight okay.” Jaylyn leaned up to kiss him. He still felt weird calling Hank “grandpa,” but he didn’t seem to mind. “Bye Dada. Bye Mama.” 

Erin blew her a kiss; “Bye baby. We’ll see you later.” Jay turned to Voight, “Just call if there are any problems. I’ll keep my phone on. We probably won’t be gone more than two maybe three hours.” 

“Go on you two. We’ll be just fine here.” 

“Her bag is on the couch. Should have everything you will need.” Hank nodded and Erin grabbed his hand to pull him on out the door. Once outside, Jay let out a deep sigh. “I was afraid JayJay would throw a big fit or something. I really hope she is good.” 

“She will be fine Jay. I turned out good right?” Erin said jokingly. 

Jay laughed; “Of course darling.” 

They drove to the restaurant. Jay had chosen an upscale restaurant in Chicago. You could see the city lights and the water from their seats. It was rather romantic. They had easy conversation all throughout dinner. Jay finally worked up the nerve to talk to Erin about the future. Erin sensed a shift in his mood. “What’s on your mind, Jay?” 

“Ever since I got hurt, I’ve been thinking about the future. I have more than just me to think about now, and I’ve been thinking more about settling down and giving Jaylyn a real family. Every vision I have includes you Er, and I just want you to know that I want this (he gestured between the two of them) to be permanent. I told Voight yesterday to be prepared because when the time was right I wanted to ask for his blessing. I want a future with you Er. I want you to adopt Jaylyn and be her real mommy on paper. I want to have more kids with you. I watched how amazing you were with JayJay while I was hurt and it just made me want everything more. I just want to know that we are on the same page.” 

Before Erin could respond, the waiter came to see if they wanted desert. They both declined saying they had eaten too much. Jay was still waiting on Erin to say something, and he was getting really nervous. She was just staring out over the water; maybe he had jumped the gun. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same Er; I just wanted you to know how I was feeling.” 

Erin finally turned and looked at him. Tears were glistening in her eyes. Before she could say anything he felt horrible. “I’m sorry Er. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just wanted you to know how I felt but obviously I am too far ahead. Let’s get the check and go get Jaylyn. Please don’t cry.” 

“Jay, Jay, stop. Ok just wait a minute.” Jay sat back down. “These are not sad tears, they are happy tears. I honestly never thought I would feel like this about anyone. I never thought someone would want me like you do. I was a terrible teenage and had Hank and Camille not taken me in, I never would have had the chance to even have someone like you. I love you Jay. I love you so much. And I love your little girl as if she was my own. I want everything you said, Jay, I do. I'm just still surprised that I am where I am right now.” 

Jay pulled her hand to his lips. “Never doubt my love for you Er. You deserve all this and so much more. And I’m going to do my best, my very damn best, to give you everything you deserve.” 

The waiter brought the check and Jay paid. “Come on Er; let’s go get out baby girl.” Erin nodded as she stood up. She sent Hank a text as they were leaving letting him know they were on their way. Hank’s reply was almost immediate; “JayJay is asleep if yall want to just leave her tonight and get her in the morning. If not, see ya soon.” 

Erin relayed the message to Jay. He really wanted a night with just Erin, but they had promised JayJay they would come back, and he didn’t want to break his promise; not when he could be deploying soon. 

They got to Hank’s; Erin went to get Jaylyn while Jay talked to Hank. “Thanks for the offer sir, but we promised her before we brought her over that we would come back for her. She seemed to think we were just going to leave her.” 

“Say no more Halstead. I understand; I just wanted to offer again since she fell asleep.” 

Jay nodded; “I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Jay, your daughter is an angel. She was no trouble at all.” 

“Thank you sir.” 

Hank patted him on the back. “Al is looking into your deployment. Hopefully we will get an answer soon. I watched the news tonight, but the conference wasn’t mentioned. I was hoping to be able to give you good news tonight, but we are still working on it.” 

“Thank you. You don’t know how much that means to me.” Erin came walking into the room. 

“Ready?” she asked him. Jay nodded. He grabbed a sleeping Jaylyn from her arms. “Come on let’s get the princess home in her bed.” 

Erin hugged Hank as Jay took Jaylyn to the car. “Thank you Hank. Tonight was special.” 

“Anytime kiddo. You deserve it, and Halstead knows it. Let him take care of you Er-bear. It is ok to give him your heart for forever.” 

Erin nodded as she hugged him once more before she went to join Jay in the car.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been almost two weeks since Jay and Erin’s date. Work had been swamped with a drug-ring case. Jay felt like they were getting close to cracking it, and he would be really glad when they did. He hadn’t spent any quality time with Erin in almost two weeks because of it. He was working a lead with Mouse when his phone went off. It was a number he did not recognize, but he answered anyway. 

“Halstead.”

“Jay, please you have to help me.”

“Who is this?”

“It’s me, Jay, Faith.”

“I don’t know a Faith.”

“Yes you do JayJay.” Mouse was looking at him funny, and he motioned for him to track the call. “Ok, Faith, how can I help you?” When she called him JayJay, he knew that it was Emmalyn on the other line.

“Your team has to back off, NOW!”

“What do you mean?”

“If yall don’t drop this case, you’re going to blow my cover. I’ve been working these guys for months now, but since yall have been on them, they think there is a rat. I need to keep this cover.”

“I’ll come to you and we can talk in person.” 

“NO! It’s too dangerous. They’ve seen you before. They talk about the pretty boy detective and his pretty partner. They’ll figure it out and you’ll both be in danger, and so will your family.” He knew she was referring to Jaylyn but he couldn’t say anything. 

“Just trust me Jay, and back off!” 

“I’ll see what I can do, but I’m not making any promises.” In the background, Jay could hear someone yelling for Faith. “I have to go, but please help me with this.” She hung up before he could say anything else. 

Mouse had been able to get an address and determined she was using a burner phone. Jay wrote down the info to take to Voight. He just prayed she was smart enough to block his number, otherwise they would trace it back to him anyways. 

Faith had been working as a prostitute/drug dealer for this ring and had just started gaining the drug lord’s trust. She hoped Jay heeded her warning. “FAITH!” they kept yelling for her. 

“WHAT?!” 

“Where the hell have you been? We got customers waiting.” Her boss snarled.

“I was calling my Mama. That ok with you?!”

“No. Let me have the phone.”

“Go to hell!” She started to walk past him, but he grabbed her. “I said let me have the phone.” She struggled to get loose, but he tightened his grip. “It’s keeping you from doing your job, slut, so give me the fucking phone.” 

She elbowed him in the solar plexus, but he grabbed her before she got totally out of the room. He smacked her across the face and she fell. 

“Bitch, I said let me have it.” She knew she was fixing to make a big mistake, but she couldn’t let him have the phone. She had not blocked or deleted the call just yet, and she could not lead him back to Jay that easily. So she spit in his face and threw the phone against the wall. Thankfully, the cheap phone did what she wanted and broke into a thousand pieces, but the burn phone had a SIM card to back everything up. That was the last thing on her mind because she was being beat half to death for her actions. She took the beating until she passed out cold on the floor. The drug lord picked up the SIM card to give to his tech guys. He had a feeling she wasn’t on the phone with her mama as she said. 

Back at the precinct, Jay went to Voight with the information he had gained. Jay explained Emmalyn’s call and how she had told them to back off; she was in danger, and his family would be too. Voight was not in the least bit happy, but he knew they could not blow her cover. He gathered the team to tell them the news as well as tell them to back off for now. Everyone was disappointed, but they understood. They would eventually close this case, but for now they were playing nice. Voight sent Erin and Jay on home to spend time with JayJay since the warning hit close to their family.

Before they left, however, Voight pulled them both into his office to deliver some news. Alvin had heard back from his military friends. After the attack at the reserve center down south, there was no way to stop Jay’s deployment. If they were lucky, they were going to keep him deployed state side to a reserve center or base, but all they could do now was wait for the call. Erin was extremely disappointed and upset. She did not want to think about what-ifs, but at the same time they were always in the back of her mind. Jay thanked Voight for trying, and he took Erin home to spend time with their little girl.


	15. Chapter 15

Jay and Erin spent the rest of the afternoon and night playing with Jaylyn. Jay knew the call to deploy would come at any time but for now he was just enjoying his girls. Erin managed to snag them the next day off since they did not have to work on the case anymore. JayJay ended up falling asleep between her parents on the couch watching The Little Mermaid. Jay picked her up and carried her to bed with Erin close behind him. 

Once they had their little girl all tucked in for the night, Jay and Erin retreated to their own room. They crawled in bed with Erin laying her head on Jay’s chest. “I know you’re scared,” he whispered, “and I am too, but it’ll be okay. Like Voight said, I’ll probably stay stateside.” 

“I know,” Erin replied, “but I just don’t know that stateside is safe anymore either.” 

Jay sighed. He knew it would be hard, especially since a Marine reserve center was attacked, but he couldn’t just not go. “I know sweetheart, but you have to stay strong for JayJay. I promise I will come back to both of you.” 

Erin nodded. She knew she needed to quit playing the what-if game, but it was hard, especially when she knew she had to care for Jay’s daughter on her own. Of course, she was in the process of adopting, but she would always be Jay’s priority, and Erin completely understood. 

Jay rubbed Erin’s head over and over until she finally fell asleep. Once he was sure she was good and asleep, he snuck out of bed. He went and stood in the doorway to JayJay’s room. It was going to be hard leaving both of his girls behind, especially when he had just gotten them both, but he was a Ranger, and he had to do what was right to protect his country. Jay finally went back to bed and fell asleep; he knew JayJay would be up early, and he needed some sleep to keep up with her the next day. 

Meanwhile across town, the drug lord Emmalyn had been working, Jeremey, was delivering the SD card to his tech. “Find out whatever you can about who she has been talking to. Someone is ratting out my business and they have to pay.” The tech nodded and took the card. “Give me a couple hours and I’ll have all the info you want.” Jeremey nodded and left. 

Emmalyn had been discovered by another one of the prostitutes, Sky. Sky managed to get another one of the girls to help her load Emmalyn into her car. Sky drove her straight to Med, and once she was taken into the ER, Sky left. She knew better than to be around when the cops showed up. 

The ER doctor that night was none other than Will Halstead. Will started treating the woman for her multiple injuries. She had several broken ribs, a broken nose, and multiple bruises and scrapes. Of course he had to call it in to PD, but Will noticed a tattoo that he recognized. It was a jay bird and had the initials JFH on them. Right now she was just a Jane Doe until PD identified her, but if he had to guess, this was the girl that broke his brother’s heart 2 years ago and came back with his niece. 

He decided to call Jay just to be safe. 

Jay woke up to his phone ringing at 3:30 in the morning. He noticed it was Will and answered right away. 

“Jay, I had a patient come in tonight. PD is on their way, but I noticed something that caught my attention.”

“And you’re calling me at 3:30 in the morning why?”

“Jay, the patient had a tattoo that seemed vaguely familiar. Do you happen to know where Emmalyn disappeared off to after leaving you Jaylyn?”

“Not really, but she called yesterday to warn us off a case because she was under cover.” 

“Jay, is there any chance her cover was blown?”

“I doubt it, but there is always a possibility. Will you just get around to saying whatever it was you were going to say and stop hinting at things.”

“Jay, my Jane Doe patient has a tattoo of a Jay bird and the initials JFH across it. Does Emmalyn have a tattoo like that?”

“I have no idea. Describe your patient to me.” 

“Dark hair, brown eyes, average height and weight.”

“Will, is there a birthmark on her left side stomach?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s her. How bad is she?”

“Several broken ribs, broken nose, multiple bruises and scrapes. I’m going to have to a CAT scan to see if there is any internal bleeding because she is bruised up so bad.” 

“Will, I was on the phone with her when someone came looking for her. Did she have a phone on her at all?”

“No. All she had was the clothes on her body. A prostitute dropped her off and left before any papers could be signed.” 

“Ok I’m on my way. I’ll leave Erin with JayJay. Oh & Will?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be deploying soon. Don’t know when yet, but when I do, will you keep an eye on Erin and Jaylyn? She’s real worried and I know she’ll feel all alone and won’t ask anyone for help if she needs it.”

“Yeah of course. You don’t even have to ask.” 

“Okay, see you soon.”

“Bye.”

Jay woke Erin up to tell her the news. She was terrified that something was going to happen to them, but he reassured her everything would be fine, and he would be back before she knew it. On his way to the hospital, he called Voight any ways to let him know the situation and Erin’s fears. 

Hank said he would call Erin and go stay with them until Jay was back if that made him feel better. Jay agreed it did. 

When Hank got to their apartment, he found Erin sitting on the couch holding a sleeping Jaylyn. He came over and sat beside her. 

“Erin, its okay sweetheart. I’m not going to let anything happen to either one of you.” Hank could see she had been crying. 

“I know. I just felt better holding her close to me.” She laid her head over on Hank’s shoulder. “What am I going to do while he’s gone? I can’t do this alone.”

“You’re not going to be alone. You have a whole team that is willing to help you and I’m sure Will will help out too.”

“I know, but it’s just not fair.” 

“I know Er bear, but life is never fair. We’ll get through this though. Don’t you worry.”

Hank had called the rest of the team in to get back working on the case. He was going to take Jeremey down before he ever had a chance to strike back at the Halsteads. 

While at the hospital, Jay positively identified Emmalyn. He was in ICU to recover from her extensive wounds, and Jay was just there for support. He wasn’t her family, but he was the closest thing she had. He just hoped that by calling him, she had not endangered his family. 

After sitting for an hour without any change to Emmalyn, Jay decided to go back home. Will promised to call if she woke up, but for now there was nothing he could do. 

On his way, he received the call he hoped would never come. 

Jay would be deploying to Fort Benning, Georgia. He was to report for duty in exactly one week, and he would receive the rest of his orders there. 

Jay returned to the apartment with a heavy heart. He knew this was going to crush Erin especial since their family might be in danger, but he ultimately had no choice.


	16. Chapter 16

When Jay entered the apartment, he found Hank sitting on the couch with a sleeping Jaylyn. She either woke up sometime after he left, or Erin had gotten her up. He guessed it was probably the latter. “How is she?” Hank asked once Jay settled in the chair adjacent to him. “Still unconscious. Will is waiting on CAT scan results.” Hank nodded. “What else, Halstead?” Jay sighed. “She didn’t have a phone on her, which means she either tossed it or her boss has it.” Hank was silent for a bit before speaking. “Let’s pray it’s the first, but prepare for the latter.” 

Jay looked utterly defeated. “Jay, is there more?” Jay was taken back by Hank’s soft use of his first name, but he nodded. Hank waited until Jay was ready to tell whatever else was bothering him. “I deploy in one week to Fort Benning where I will receive the rest of my orders.” Neither had heard Erin return to the room, but her audible gasp gave her away. Before either could say anything, Erin turned and fled again. Jay stood up to go after her, when he realized Hank too had stood and stopped him with his hand on Jay’s shoulder. “She’ll come around. It’s just something new, and she doesn’t know how to handle it yet.” Jay nodded and followed in the direction Erin had fled.

1 week later

It was THE day! The day Erin hoped would never come. They had been tucked away in a safe house with Jaylyn all week while their team/family worked the case. They hadn’t agreed to it easily, but it was the best way to keep Jaylyn safe and spend as much time together as possible. Jay had been given a burner phone to keep in touch with the team. Anything Will wanted to relay to them came from the team. Other than that, they had not had any contact with the outside world. Erin and JayJay would be returning home at the protest of both Jay and Hank. Erin figured it would be easier on JayJay to return to a normal schedule since Jay was leaving. 

Erin had cried all night last night while Jay packed and laid out his uniform. That was the last tears she told herself she was going to cry though. She knew Jaylyn would need her to be strong for them to make it through the hardest thing they had gone through to date as a family. The team had agreed to take nights about staying with Erin and JayJay despite Erin’s protest that she could take care of herself and her little girl. She tried telling them that if anything was going to happen to them, it would have already happened. The team was still working on trying to bring him down, and it would help tremendously is Emmalyn would wake up to help them, but for now they would using all the resources they had to collect as much evidence as possible to put this bastard away for life. 

Erin promised Jay that they would stay safe, and JayJay would be her top priority while he was gone. In return, he promised that he would come home safe and sound to them. They had tried to prepare JayJay for today, but every time they would start to mention Jay leaving for an undetermined amount of time, JayJay would cry uncontrollably. 

They had arrived at the airport about 30 minutes ago, and JayJay was refusing to let go of Jay. They had just about 30 minutes until time for Jay to board. Erin was keeping the tears at bay, but she felt at any minute she was going to lose it. Jay sat JayJay on his knee. 

“Okay JayJay look at me.” Jaylyn kept her head turned down towards her lap. “JayJay don’t make Daddy sad. Please look at me.” Jaylyn tilted her head up at him and she had big crocodile tears floating in her blue eyes that were so much like his own. Jay wasn’t sure he was going to be able to do this without absolutely losing it, but he was going to try. His girls deserved it. 

“JayJay I love you with all my heart, and I would never leave you if I didn’t have to. But Daddy has to go to work in another state, and I need you to be a big girl and help Mommy out while I’m gone. I need you to listen to her and be a good girl.” JayJay and Erin were both crying, despite Erin’s resolve not to cry anymore. Erin could see the tears in Jay’s eyes threatening to spill down his cheek at any moment. “I’ll be back very soon, and when I get back I want to hear all about what you’ve done and how good you’ve been, okay? There might even be nights that I can call and video with you, too okay?” JayJay nodded and wrapped her arms around Jay’s neck. “And Grandpa and all your aunts and uncles are going to stay at the house at some point while I’m gone. I’m sure that will lots of fun.” 

JayJay still had her head buried in his neck. You could barely hear her saying “No, Daddy, don’t go,” through her tears. Jay continued to hold her as he turned to Erin. “I want you to know how much I love you and proud I am of you for agreeing to keep her while I’m gone. I know it’s not easy but you have no idea how thankful I am that she will be with you. I’m going to miss you so freaking much, and I’m going to try my best to talk to you every day. This isn’t going to be easy Er, but I know you have the strength and support to get through this; we both do. Let me know when the adoption papers come. You’re going to be fine and so am I.” At this point, Jay was crying too. “We will survive this I promise. It might not seem like it at first, but the sooner I go, that’s just one more day closer that I come home.” 

Jay pulled her into a hug with Jaylyn in between them. They heard his flight called, and they both knew this was going to be the hardest part of the day. Jay grabbed his bags, and they walked to the gate. “Okay JayJay, you have to go with Mommy now. I love you baby girl,” he said as he hugged her tight and kissed her head. He tried handing her to Erin, but Jaylyn refused to let go. “Come on JayJay,” Erin tried, but she still refused. Jay set his bags down and started prying Jaylyn’s finger loose from around his neck. By now she was screaming and crying, “No Daddy!” over and over. Finally he was able to get her loose, and Erin grabbed her. Jaylyn screamed and cried for her Daddy, which made Erin cry more. He kissed Erin one last time. “I love you Erin. I will see you soon.” 

“I love you too,” she whispered. He grabbed his bag and turned to go. Watching him walk away was the hardest thing Erin had ever gone through; even harder than detoxing when she was a teenager. She literally could feel her heart breaking in half the further away he got. She sat down in the nearest seat when he finally out of sight and cried as she rocked JayJay back and forth. Hearing her baby girl cry for her daddy over and over made her heart ache all the more. 

Erin sat and rocked and rocked until Jaylyn’s cried subsided. It was only then that Erin realized she had cried herself to sleep. Erin sat for a minute longer until she found her strength. She gathered the diaper bag and carried Jaylyn to the car. Once she got her buckled in, quite a task since she was trying not to wake the wore out toddler, she called Hank. “I can’t do this,” Erin sobbed into the phone. “Can you drive?” he asked. Erin nodded and then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Yea, yea I can.” 

“Come to the house, I’ll be waiting,” was he reply. Erin drove to the house she called home as a teenager. It was much more her home then the one she’d shared with Bunny. At least here she knew was loved by both her parents and that no matter how much she screwed up, they would always love her. Gosh, how she wished her mom was still alive. She would know how to help her. She didn’t doubt her dad’s ability to help for one second, but there was just something about a mother’s love that a child craves when they are hurting. 

Hank met her on the porch. He could tell Erin had cried the whole way from the airport, and he was thankful they made it their safely. He wished Camille was there to help him. He was afraid he was going to screw up and push Erin away because he never was the comforter; that was always Camille’s job, but he was going to do the best he could because it wasn’t just Erin depending on him. He had JayJay to think about too. And despite his initial hate for Halstead, he could see how he good he was for Erin and how good she was for him. And it didn’t hurt that his little girl completely adored her parents and Hank had a special soft spot for her too. 

Hank took a still sleeping JayJay from Erin, and once inside he told Erin to lay on the couch while he put the baby down. He didn’t have a crib for her, but he had a bassinet that he got just in case they ever wanted JayJay to stay over. It wasn’t a baby one, it was more like a playpen, but it was for sleeping. Once JayJay was settled, Hank went to the kitchen to pour Erin a cup of her favorite hot tea. Camille had always fixed it for her when she was upset. When he’d gotten her call, he had put some on. He returned to the living room to find her asleep too. He returned it to the kettle and set it to keep warm because he had feeling it was going to be a long night for him and his girls. But he was prepared. Even though Erin didn’t know it, he had promised Jay that he would keep his girls safe and would do anything needed while he was gone, and Hank fully intended to keep that promise.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day, Hank woke when JayJay did. He’d ended up carrying Erin to bed. He’d about decided he was too old to be doing that, but he couldn’t let her sleep on the couch all night. He’d put her in her old room, which he had not changed since she had lived there. She was still asleep, and he planned on letting her sleep as long as she would. He had called Al and told him he was in charge until Hank could get there, but he wanted hourly updates.

Hank was sitting at the table with JayJay trying to get her to eat, but she was refusing. “Come on JayJay, you have to eat. Mommy will be up soon and we want to tell her that you’ve already had breakfast.” JayJay shook her head no. “I not have mommy,” came JayJay’s reply. “What?!” Hank refrained from screaming but it was close because he was quite frankly shocked. JayJay had been calling Erin ‘mommy’ since the day after Jay had gotten her. “JayJay, of course you have a mommy. She’s just upstairs sleeping.”

JayJay was shaking her head no. “No, mommy and daddy weft me,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Oh sweetie,” Hank said as he took her onto his lap. “I know your real mom left you with your daddy and that was hard. But you’ve had a mommy ever since you’ve been with daddy, right?” JayJay didn’t say anything and after a minute she nodded yes. “Okay then. So Erin is your mommy. You love her like she’s your real mommy and you call her mommy, so she’s your mommy baby girl. She’s just upstairs sleeping in her old room.” 

JayJay was quiet for a minute; “Daddy?” she asked. Hank sighed. This was going to be a big adjustment, and he wasn’t sure JayJay was going to handle it well, especially since she had just gone through one big adjustment moving in with her dad. But kids were resilient and he figured she’s be just fine in the end. “Daddy had to leave for work, princess, but he’ll be back before you even know it. He left you with mommy and me and all your aunts and uncles from mommy’s work. You’ll never even know he was gone before he is back.” Hank prayed that was the truth, and Jay had a short deployment. Jaylyn laid her head on his chest; “You have to eat princess because when daddy gets back, he’ll want to see how much you’ve grown, and you can’t grow if you don’t eat.” That seemed to perk her up just a little. “I get big like you,” she said. “Not if you don’t eat you won’t,” hank said. 

Jaylyn jumped to her seat and begin eating breakfast. Hank didn’t know Erin had overheard the entire conversation. She was truly grateful that Hank was supporting her and Jay because without his support right now, she wasn’t sure she would get through this. 

Later that day, Hank got a call from Will Halstead. Emmalyn was waking up, and Will thought Hank might want to be there to get her statement. Erin assured Hank that she was fine, and she and JayJay would stay at his house for today until she was ready to go back to the apartment. No matter how much she had insisted they needed to return home, she didn’t quiet feel like going there without Jay just yet. 

Hank arrived at the hospital, and Will was waiting on him outside Emmalyn’s room. “She hasn’t said much,” Will informed him. “Everything seems to be fine, and she doesn’t seem to suffer any memory loss. She did ask about Jay, but I didn’t tell her anything. I wasn’t sure how much he would want her to know.” Hank nodded. “Thanks, Will.” Will returned the nod. “Oh, Hank, has Erin heard if Jay made it safely?” Hank nodded sadly. “She wanted me to ask you the same thing.” Will sighed. “Will, is he usually allowed to check in after landing to let them know he made it safely?” 

“Just depends. Usually when he first deploys to a base he can, but he usually knows all his orders before he deploys, but this time he didn’t; so I really don’t know.” Hank nodded. “Okay, thanks. Erin was just wondering.” 

“I can tell you this though, Jay loves Erin and JayJay, and he will contact them as much as he is allowed, and he is going to fight to cut this deployment short, so I’m sure he’ll call just as soon as he can.” 

“Yea, I was thinking the same thing. Okay I guess I need to go question the victim, and see if we can get a lead that will bust this case open. I don’t like the thought that my family is targeted and we don’t know when or where the attacker is.” Will nodded. He didn’t like thinking about the fact that his niece and future sister-in-law could still be in danger, but he did like that Hank referred to all of them as his family. At least Jay had made progress that way, even if he didn’t know it. 

Upon entering Emmalyn’s room, Hank could see how bruised and battered she really was. He was amazed that Halstead was able to positively id her. “Emmalyn, I’m Detective Hank Voight, Intelligence.” 

“I know who you are. You’re Jay’s boss.” Hank nodded. 

“That I am. Look I know you just woke up from a week long coma, but I need to ask you some questions. We are trying to bust this dealer you were working, and we need your help. Also, I need to know if Jay and his family are in trouble.” 

Emmalyn sighed. “The phone I used to call him was shattered into a million pieces, but the SD card was still in it. It might not have broken when the phone did. I’m not really sure. I never should have called him, but I needed to buy myself some more time undercover.” 

“I understand,” Hank said. “I need all the information you have on Jeremey, Emmalyn. I want this guy put away soon before he harms my family or anyone else. I can clearly see the damage he is capable of creating, so I’m hoping you will cooperate.” 

“Of course, sir. My case has been completely compromised I’m sure so anything I knew I’ll gladly share.” 

Hank and Emmalyn continued discussing the case for almost 2 hours. Hank took notes as Emmalyn talked. He hoped his team would be able to use something from Emmalyn to give them enough evidence to put this bastard away. If nothing else, they had him for aggravated assault of an officer which give Jeremey a felony charge and a maximum of 3 years. That wasn’t long enough for Voight so he hoped they could get him for more. 

Meanwhile across town, Erin decided to take JayJay to the babysitter for a couple of hours. If nothing else just to try and get her used to going again. However, when Erin tried to leave, JayJay threw an awful fit. It took her almost 30 minutes to get her calmed back down. Erin decided to stay for a bit and Kristy said that was perfectly fine. She understood how hard it was on JayJay especially since Jay had just left the day before. 

What Erin didn’t know was that Jeremey had men watching the babysitter’s house. He had just been waiting for them to make their return to the city. As soon as Erin arrived with JayJay, the men sent Jeremey a text telling him that the blonde & baby were at the house. Jeremey instructed his men to stay put until he got there. It was time to teach the CPD not to mess with him or his ring…. 

Erin had been at the babysitters for an hour. She had checked her phone multiple times during that hour. She was dying to hear from Jay, and it was so hard not to pick up the phone and call him. This was going to be longest days of her life. She was in the kitchen not far, but far enough that JayJay was getting some play time without her around. 

She had been so lost in thoughts of Jay that she didn’t not hear the front door crash open or the sound of glass breaking. It wasn’t until Kristy screamed that Erin was even alerted to anything being wrong. Most of the kids started crying, and Erin could hear men’s voices telling them to shut up or he was going to shoot. 

Erin whipped her phone out as she crept towards the entrance to the living room from the kitchen. She pulled up the team’s group name and sent a message saying 911. Everyone but Jay would get the message because Mouse had taken his number out of the group when he deployed yesterday. She just prayed the team got them before anything drastic happened. 

Erin reached for her gun as soon as she pocketed her phone. She could still a few kids whimpering, but the living room was mostly silent. She couldn’t really see anything from her vantage point, but for now she was safe. 

She heard a man’s voice shout “Find the Bitch before I start killing people. Also pull out his kid. CPD is going to learn a hard lesson.” 

Erin knew immediately that it was Jeremey and his men. They were after her and JayJay. She had to figure out how to get to JayJay to keep her safe without getting herself shot in the process. She was praying backup would arrive soon. 

Voight received the message while stilling talking to Emmalyn. “Shit I have to go. Erin’s in trouble,” and he ran out the door. Will happened to see Voight come running out and yelled after him. All hank could shout was Erin, and he was gone. Will knew something was seriously wrong, but he prayed Erin and Jaylyn would be safe. 

Voight called Mouse and wanted the location now. Mouse said she was at the babysitter’s and everyone was already in route with patrol cops. Voight hung up. 

Upon arriving at the babysitter’s he saw cars parked along the street and his team positioned where the street was blocked. They had not heard anything else from Erin, and he wasn’t sure what he was going to be walking in on. 

His team huddled around him. “Ok, we do not know the situation. All we know is that Erin and Jaylyn are in danger. It’s our job to make sure they are safe for Jay, but also all the other children as well. Erin said the babysitter kept anywhere from 3 to 7 kids a day. We can assume this is Jeremey and his men. Everyone suited?” 

He received nods from everyone. Burgess and Roman came running up. “We heard it was Erin and JayJay and came as soon as we could.” Hank nodded. “Ok, I want O, Ruzek, & Roman in the front with me. Dawson, Atwater, and Burgess take the back. No one goes out until everyone is in custody. We move in on 3.” 

They all split up. Once everyone was in position, Hank gave the count down. On 3 both doors were busted in. Hank heard a female scream but knew it wasn’t Erin. He could see the babysitter sitting on the couch with her hands taped behind her. He couldn’t see any visible wounds, and Al went to untape her hands. He could hear him trying to calm her down, and she said included JayJay there were 5 kids there today. 

“Boss,” Ruzek started. Hank turned and looked at him. Inside a playpen were 4 kids. That meant Erin and JayJay were missing. Hank went up to Kristy. “Where did he take them?” 

“D..d… downstairs.” Hank nodded and told Ruzek to stay with them. 

“Everybody downstairs. Burgess guard the back door and don’t let anyone out. Ruzek is with the babysitter and kids. Roman cover the front and don’t let anyone out.” 

He heard “copy” from them both. As they moved downstairs he could hear JayJay screaming for her mommy. He had to block that out and focus on getting them out of there. 

The stairs creaked and everything downstairs became silent. Voight tried the door but it was locked. Just great, he thought. Can’t shoot the lock off because he didn’t know where Erin and Jaylyn were in the room. He sent Atwater back up to get the battering ram. He couldn’t hear Erin or JayJay anymore. 

“What’s the plan?” Al asked. 

“Get the door open and get my girls out.” O and Dawson nodded. Atwater returned and broke the door open. All four entered with weapons drawn. The sight before them liked to have killed Hank, but he blocked it out until the girls were safe. Erin was tied to a chair with duct tape over her mouth. JayJay was being held by one of the men, and he had his hand over her mouth. She looked like she was trying to fight him but the guy was not releasing his hold. 

“I’m Detective Hank Voight. Let these girls go.” 

“Like hell I will. CPD has to learn a lesson about leaving me alone. I’m not letting them go until I get a signed agreeance that me & my men walk out of here free and alive.” 

“Put your guns down & we’ll talk.” Erin was shooting him looks begging him not to do that, but he couldn’t think about that. His priority was getting his girls back. 

Once Jeremey’s men lowered their guns to the ground, Hank, Alvin, Antonio and Kevin did as well. “What are you wanting out of this Jeremey?” 

“I want money and I want to be left alone and the streets to keep running my business the way I do. I’ve heard about you; I know you make deals and I want one. You’ve been messing with my ring, even sent in a snitch. You see what happen to her. I can do that to these 2 right now.” 

“Look, let the girls go; I’ll send my men out and you can send yours out and we’ll talk. Swear.” Jeremey looked skeptical. “Ok, fine everyone can wait upstairs for us, but I’m not even talking deals until the hostages are turned free.” 

Jeremey conceded. The one holding JayJay handed her to Antonio because he was the closest. JayJay immediately started crying for mommy and gran’pa but Antonio took her upstairs. Erin was released as well. She stopped by Hank, and he knew she was going to beg him not to do this, but he said, “Erin, go upstairs with everyone else. I’ll join you soon.” Alvin took her by the arm, and led her upstairs while Atwater followed the rest of Jeremey’s men up the stairs. 

“Ok you got what you want, now I want a deal.” Hank had moved closer to Jeremey. He put his hand on his shoulder, and Jeremey tried to shrug away, but Hank had a deathly grip. “I will break your shoulder in two, if you so much as blink again. I DO NOT make deals with thugs and criminals,” Hank whispered in a deathly voice. “I definitely do not make deals with someone who threaten my family with a gun.” He grabbed Jeremey’s arm and started twisting. “You made the biggest mistake of your life by pointing a gun at her head and holding my granddaughter like that. You are going away for the rest of your sorry ass life. I will make sure of it. I have a warrant waiting to search all of your properties, and oh look, here’s some drugs on your person. I have a warrant for your arrest waiting on my desk, and you think I’m going to make a deal with you?!” 

Jeremey was silent. Hank had twisted his arm to the breaking point. “You are nothing but trash in this city, and it’s my job to clean that trash up. You better thank whoever that you didn’t hurt either one of them, or you would be going somewhere that you could never come back from.” With that, Hank slapped cuffs on his wrist, picked up his teams’ guns and walked upstairs with Jeremey. 

When they got to the top, Hank nodded to Alvin, Dawson and Atwater. They all got the signal, pulled their cuffs and cuffed the remaining free men. They tried putting up a fight but when Jeremey said “enough” they stopped. 

Later that night, once everyone had been processed, Hank headed home. Erin had been at his house the rest of the afternoon with Jaylyn. He hoped JayJay was okay after today’s fiasco. He also hopped Erin was fine. He was afraid the last two days would be too much for her emotionally. 

When he got home, Erin was in the rocking chair in the living room rocking JayJay who looked to be asleep. Erin had soft music playing, and looked like she was lost in thought. “How are ya kid?” 

Erin didn’t say anything for the longest time. “I promised I would keep her safe. He’s gone one day and she is held hostage. I don’t think I can do this.” 

“Erin, look at me. This is not your fault. We should have made an arrest while yall were tucked safely away. This is on me. You’re both safe now. JayJay is fine, they didn’t hurt her or you. You can take care of her. You are a good mother and she knows it.” 

Erin had been shaking her head no and crying the whole time. “Erin, look at me.” Erin raised her eyes to him. “You are the best mother Jaylyn has. You did everything you could today. Jay would have been proud of you. And I’m proud of you too. You kept your head and neither of you got hurt.” 

Erin nodded. “I don’t think I can work while Jay is away. It’ll be too hard to leave her.” Hank nodded. “You can work desk and bring her with you. I don’t think you would happy staying home with her all day though.” Erin agreed. 

“Okay, kiddo. Let’s get you both in bed. You both take my bed so JayJay can sleep with you. I’ll be in Justin’s room if either of you need anything.” Erin nodded. She let Hank take JayJay from her, and when she started to fuss, he nuzzled her close and whispered softly to her until she settled. 

Right before she got into bed, Erin got a text from Jay. “I made it safely. First chance I’ve had to use my phone. Looks like I’ll be staying on base for now. Talking with my CO to see about coming home soon. Hope all is well with my girls. I love you both so much.” 

Erin cried some more as she laid down and thought about how to respond. She didn’t want to tell him all the details about today because he would just panic, but she had to let him know. “JayJay and I miss you terribly and love you so much too. Jeremey was arrested today. I think I’m just going to work desk until you are back so JayJay can stay with me. I don’t think she will handle being at the babysitters very well. Can’t wait to hear your voice or see your face. Love you bunches.” 

With that Erin fell asleep with memories of Jay dancing through her head. She missed him but she could get through this, as long as she could keep her baby with her.


	18. Chapter 18

6 months later

It had been six long months that Jay had been stationed at Fort Benning. He missed his girls something terrible. He’d skyped and talked to them as much as he could, but it wasn’t enough. He was past ready to go home. JayJay was getting so big. She was talking more and growing like a weed. 

Erin had been working desk for six months, but she wasn’t complaining. She said it was what was best for the both of them. She was staying safe and JayJay was happy to always have her mama in sight. JayJay was also loving all the attention she would get from her Grandpa Hank and all her uncles and aunts. 

Erin had eventually gone back to their apartment a month after Jay had deployed. Most nights Hank stayed over, but sometimes Kim, Nadia, Will or even Antonio would stay with the girls. Erin didn’t like feeling like she was a burden on them, but she enjoyed the company too much to complain. Besides, JayJay loved all the attention. There were days when she would continually ask about Daddy, but for the most part, she had adjusted a lot better than Erin. 

Emmalyn had asked to see JayJay about two months after Jay had deployed. She’d completely recovered from her attack, and she wanted to see her daughter before agreeing to another assignment. Erin talked it over with Jay who refused Emmalyn’s request. He said it would be too confusing on JayJay, especially since he was gone. Erin agreed. 

Emmalyn was not the least bit happy she was denied, and demanded to talk to Jay. Erin had to tell her that Jay was deployed, and Emmalyn said she was going to fight like hell to get her daughter back then. Erin, not so kindly, reminded her that she didn’t have a daughter anymore, and she could try but she wouldn’t win. Erin never heard another word from her. She learned from the Commander that Emmalyn had taken an undercover assignment upstate and wouldn’t be around for at least a year.

Erin breathed a sigh of relief. She was just anxiously awaiting the adoption papers so that JayJay would officially be hers and Emmalyn would have even less control then.  
Jay had received word yesterday that he would be returning home by Friday this week. He wanted to tell Erin, but he wanted it to be a big surprise. He’d sent Voight an email asking him to call him today, and he couldn’t wait to share the news. He also wanted to ask Voight a major question so he was anxiously anticipating the call. 

An hour after the email was sent, Jay’s phone rang. It was nice that he had been able to keep his personal cell on him; it was a first, but he was state side so he guessed that was why. When he answered the phone it was Voight. 

“Sarg, so good to hear from you.” 

“Likewise Halstead. How are things?” 

“Things are really good. Look I need your help with something.” 

“Okay what is it?”

“I found out yesterday that I fly home Friday for good. I want to surprise Erin and JayJay though so I don’t want to tell them. I was hoping that maybe you could pick me up from the airport and help me set up the surprise…?” 

“Of course! Just send me the flight info when you get it.” 

“Thank you so much. Also, I had another question.” 

“The answer is yes Halstead. You don’t even have to ask.” 

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask, Hank.” 

“Yes, I do. And my answer is yes. Your girls will be excited.” 

“Thanks, look I hate to cut this short but I hear the CO paging.” 

“No problem. Talk to you soon.” 

Jay hung up and went to his meeting. His steps were lighter because he was so happy to return home.

Friday rolled around, and Jay loaded his stuff on the plane. In just a few short hours both of his girls would be in his arms. Hank was meeting him at the airport; Antonio was having Erin help him set up for a party at his house for later that day. She wasn’t sure why Tonio was having a party, but she was just excited to have a reason to celebrate. Life had been so dull without Jay. She missed him terribly, and she knew his absence had had an effect on the rest of the team. Everyone else seemed to have lightened up this week, and most of their spark had returned. She felt she was being left out, but she was just glad to see her family happy again. She would only be truly happy when Jay returned. 

Once everything was set up, Erin took advantage of Antonio’s guest room and laid down with JayJay to nap. Tonio promised to wake her when the party started. Erin had no idea how long she had slept, but she could hear music playing and people laughing. JayJay was sitting up in bed talking to herself happily. 

“Why, hello, baby girl. Did you have a good nap?

JayJay giggled. “Yea mama.” She had just recently started calling her “mama” instead of mommy, and Erin loved it. It seemed more personal to her. Erin picked her up and nuzzled her stomach making JayJay laugh all the more. “Come on pretty girl, let’s get your dress on and head down to the party.” 

“Cake, mama, cake!” 

Erin laughed, “Of course baby, there will be cake.” 

JayJay giggled and clapped. “Daddy?” she questioned. 

Erin sighed. She hated when JayJay asked because she always had to disappoint her girl, but she couldn’t just lie to her. “Daddy will be home when he can baby. I don’t know when that will be.” JayJay laid her head on Erin’s shoulder. “Ok, mama.” Erin kissed her head. “Come on, time to be happy not sad. Uncle Tony is having a party.” Erin tried cheering her up, but she knew that the only thing that would really cheer her and her baby up would be for Jay to come home. 

Once downstairs, Erin saw that all of Intelligence and CFD were present. She went to the kitchen to get something to drink. Hank pulled her to the side. “Get JayJay and come with me. I have a surprise for you.” 

Erin was confused. Hank had been gone most the day, but she hadn’t thought anything about it. Erin picked JayJay up and told her that Grandpa had a surprise for them. He led them to the living room. “This came to the precinct today while you were here. I figured it was pretty important.” There was a big manila folder sitting on the table. Hank took JayJay as Erin sat down and opened the envelope. What she pulled out brought tears to her eyes.

JayJay’s adoption papers had finally come through. Jaylyn Faith Halstead was now legally Erin’s daughter too. “Oh, Hank. Thank you! Thank you!”

“I thought you might like that. Oh & there is another surprise outside for you. We set up this party for both of you. I think you will like this surprise as well.” 

Erin nodded as JayJay reached back for her mother. Erin noticed that while they had been in the living room, everyone had moved outside. Hank went on ahead of them. “JayJay can you believe everyone threw this party for us? And guess what baby, you are officially mine!” 

JayJay clapped even though she really didn’t understand what Erin was saying. “OK baby, ready to go see our surprise.” JayJay nodded. Erin set her down to let her walk; she was really getting too big for Erin to carry, but she still did it occasionally. The music had changed and was just softly playing. Everyone was just kind of whispering, and not really talking. When she opened the door, all conversation seemed to stop. JayJay tried running on, and Erin was standing their confused. 

A few people moved to the side and JayJay took off running. When Erin heard JayJay screaming “DADDY!” over and over she quit scanning the crowd and looked straight ahead. Standing before her was the man she had been longing for, scooping his, THEIR, daughter up into his arms. Erin couldn’t wait any longer. She took off running for him, and he just barely caught her while still holding JayJay. 

By now, Erin had tears just pouring down her face. “Is this real?” she whispered. 

“He answered by kissing her again and whispering that it was. Erin forgot about everyone behind them as Jay professed his undying love for her. He bent down to set JayJay down. “JayJay stand right here for me, ok. I have one more surprise for mommy.” JayJay nodded as he set her down. Erin was expecting him to stand back up, but when she looked down, he was on one knee.

“Erin Skye Lindsey, I have loved you since the first day I met you. These last six months have been some of the hardest months I have had because I could not see your beautiful face every day or hear that sweet voice. You accepted me just as I am; you’ve taken care of my daughter for the last six months when you didn’t have to. You’ve stood by me through all of this. You’ve always had my back, and I couldn’t be more grateful. We started out as work partners, but I want you to be my permanent partner, my partner for life. Erin Skye, will you marry me? Will you make me the happiest man today, and be my partner for life and Jaylyn’s mommy forever?”   
Erin didn’t think it was possible to cry this many happy tears, but tears just kept pouring out of her eyes. She was so happy to see him and so shocked. All she could do was nod yes. 

“So that’s a yes?” Jay questioned. 

“YES! YES! YES!” Erin practically screamed. Jay slipped the ring on her finger. It had been his mother’s ring, and it was so perfect for them. He picked her up and kissed her senseless as he twirled her around. He could hear everyone clapping and whistling in the background so he set her down and broke the kiss. JayJay was standing their looking confused as to why her parents were so happy. 

Jay kind of nodded towards her and both he and Erin squatted down next to JayJay. “JayJay how would you like for mommy and me to get married?” Jay asked her. JayJay was quite for a minute. “Mommy would live with us forever?” she asked. “Yes, baby, she would.” Jay replied. 

JayJay started squealing and clapping, and Jay and Erin laughed at her. Jay picked her up into his arms and pulled Erin close. It was so nice to be able to hold his girls close. He never planned on leaving them again. Which reminded him, he another surprise for Erin tonight. 

Everyone came around at some point during the party and offered their congratulations. JayJay had run around playing, and Jay eventually lost track of who had her. It was starting to get dark, and he was wearing down from the flight and all the excitement. Erin was starting to notice how tired he was. She went in search of JayJay and found her asleep in Hank’s arms. 

“Oh, Hank, you could’ve given her to one of us. You didn’t have to hold her the whole time.” 

“It’s fine Er, I promise. I enjoy holding my granddaughter. I’m taking full advantage of it because I know the day will come where she doesn’t want to crawl up in my lap and go to sleep.” 

Erin nodded. “I can see how happy you are Er. I’m happy for you.” Erin nodded. She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Dad.” 

It was the first time since she was a teenager that she had called him Dad. Hank’s heart swelled to overfull. He had a daughter, future son-in-law, a granddaughter, a son, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson on the way. He just wished Camille could be here to celebrate with him. 

“Why don’t I keep the muchkin tonight and yall can get her in the morning?” 

“Let me go find Jay and ask him. I think he is wearing down pretty quick anyways.” 

“I’ll be right here.” 

Erin found Jay talking with Antonio in the kitchen. She snuck up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Tonio offered his congratulations once again and left the two lovebirds in the kitchen. Jay spun her around into his arms. “I love you so much Erin.” He whispered. 

“I love you too. What do you say we get out of here and go home?. I have a surprise waiting for you.” 

Jay nodded. “Sounds good. I have a surprise for you too.” 

“Another one?” 

“Yes, beautiful, another one. Let’s go collect JayJay and go home.” 

“Hank has volunteered to keep her tonight if we want. She passed out in his lap about 30 minutes ago.” 

She could see Jay was turning the idea over in his mind. “Ok. But for tonight only. I want to spend as much time with my girls as possible. I have six months to make up for.” 

“I know. But it’ll be nice to just be the two of us tonight. We can get her in the morning.” 

“You’re right. Let’s go say goodbyes and head home.” 

Erin loved the sound of that. She went to collect her bags from the living room. She slipped the adoption papers in her bag. She couldn’t wait to share that bit of news with him once they were home. She found him outside talking with Hank. 

She handed the diaper bag over and leaned over to kiss her daughter. It felt good to be able to say that, even though JayJay was practically hers from the day she moved in with Jay, it felt good to know that she was officially hers. Once they had said their goodbyes they headed to their apartment. 

Once inside the door, Jay shoved her up against the wall. It’d been six long months without her, and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. 

He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Oh, Jay, mmm. Don’t stop, whatever you do, don’t stop.” 

“Never, Erin. God you’re so beautiful, and I’ve missed you so fucking much.” 

“I’ve missed you too.” Jay had managed to get her shirt off as well as unbutton her jeans. 

“Jay,” she moaned. “I don’t think I can wait.” 

“Oh, baby, me either, but this first time should be slow, sweet and romantic. You deserve that.” 

Erin groaned her frustration. She took his face between her hands to stop his kisses. “Look at me Jay Halstead. I do not want slow and sweet. There’s time for that later. I want you to fuck me, good and hard, right here and now.” 

Jay’s control snapped. It’d been so long since he’d heard Erin talk dirty to him, and he had been waiting for six months to get his hands on her again. 

He shoved her jeans and thong down her legs as she was stripping him of his clothes. He picked her back up again and was kissing all over. Hs slipped a finger between them to find her so wet and ready. “God Erin, you’re so wet and ready, baby.” 

“I know. I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”

“Never again, baby, never again will you have to wait that long.” As he finished his sentence he thrust into her hard and deep. 

“Oh, Jay” she cried out. “That’s it baby,” he whispered. She was so tight, hot and wet. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to last. He kissed all over her face, her neck, her beautiful perky breast, each time thrusting just a little bit harder and a little bit deeper. He sucked her ear lobe between his teeth. He whispered in her ear, “Erin, baby, I’m not going to make it much longer. You’re so wet, so tight, oh, baby.” 

“Jay, Jay, Jay,” she whispered over and over. He took one nipple into her mouth. He could feel her orgasm getting close. “That’s it baby, I know you want to come for me.” He sucked some more as he thrust over and over. “Erin, baby, I’m going to cum.” 

“Oh, Jay, me too, me too. Don’t stop.” About that time she started screaming his name over and over as he felt her orgasm break loose. Her muscles squeezed him tight as he thrust one, two, three more times before he came too. Erin could feel Jay’s seed coating her inside. She was working on slowing her breathing, as was he. He managed to gain control before she did, and carried them over to the couch. 

He sat down with her in his lap facing him. She laid her head on his shoulder. “That was probably the best time ever,” she whispered. Jay chuckled. “Glad I could help.” He said.

It was then he remembered his surprise for her. “Oh, I about forgot. I have another surprise for you.” 

“You mean that wasn’t it?” Erin laughed. 

“Well, no.” he said. 

“That’s ok. I have a surprise for you too.” 

Erin climbed off to get the papers out of her purse, and Jay got up to get his surprise. 

They both returned to the couch with papers in their hands. “You first,” Jay said. “I’ve already given you two surprises so it’s only fair you go first.”   
Erin giggled. “You’re surprises were the best though.” 

“We’ll see,” he said. 

“Okay, well Hank gave me this about 10 minutes before we came outside. He said they were delivered to the precinct while I was decorating at Antonio’s. She handed Jay the packet of papers.

She was watching his face closely as he started pulling them out. The look of pure joy on his face when he realized it was the adoption papers, made her night. “JayJay is officially yours.” He said. 

“Yes, she is. I couldn’t be more happy. We’re going to be a real family of three.” She said. She climbed back into his lap to kiss on him. 

“We are. Here.” He handed her the papers he had in his hands. He could tell the moment she realized what the papers meant. 

“You never have to go back?” she asked. “Never,” he confirmed. He had worked it out with his CO while at Fort Benning that he could retire early and still receive all his benefits. He made the decision without telling Erin because he knew it was what he wanted to do. The Army Rangers had been his saving grace at one point in his life, but he served his time and that point of his life was over. He was through. He had more important things at home that he wanted to be a part of. 

Erin was overly happy. Jay came home, they were engaged, JayJay was legally THEIR daughter, and Jay was done with the Army. Tonight just couldn’t get any better.   
They eventually made it to bed where they made sweet love for most of the night. The last thought she had before falling asleep was that she hopped her dad could keep JayJay for most of the day because she doubted they would be up before noon. Life was perfect and she was happy.


	19. Chapter 19

3 months later

It was their wedding day. They’d had a short engagement because they were just so excited to make everything official. Everyone already knew they were a family, but Erin and Jay both wanted it completely official as soon as possible. Erin was over the moon happy. Jay had been home for three months, and it had been the best three months of their lives. 

After Jay returned, they discussed work. She told him how happy she was just spending everyday with JayJay, but Jay didn’t want her to give up her job. Plus they really needed both incomes. So she’d talked it over with Hank, and he told her to do whatever made her happy. Some weeks she worked 4 days, some 3 days, and some 2 days. It really just depended on what the case load was for the week. Sometimes she missed working the streets with Jay, but for now the desk was her best option. Jay never argues with her, but he was always curious as to what made Erin want to stay on the desk. 

But enough about work. Today was her wedding day! They weren’t taking the total traditional route, but she was having a formal wedding. Hank would be walking her down the aisle. Nadia was her maid-of-honor, and Kim was a bridesmaid. Antonio was Jay’s best man, and Adam was a groomsman. JayJay was their flower girl & ring bearer because she would carry their rings in the bottom of her basket. 

Erin hadn’t planned on seeing Jay before the ceremony at noon, but she’d gotten sick again that morning & Jay had come to hold her hair back. “Are you sure you’re ok?” he asked. This wasn’t their first time she’d woken up sick in the mornings, but it was never consistent so Jay didn’t think anything of it. She always just blamed it on food she’d eaten. 

“Yes, yes I’m fine. Besides it’s our wedding day and we are not postponing this.” Jay pulled her into a hug. “Wouldn’t have even suggested it, Babe.” Not long after that the girls arrived and shooed Jay out of the apartment. Erin had given Antonio Jay’s present yesterday before she left work. She couldn’t wait for him to open it because she knew she would be getting a phone call. 

The girls all helped get JayJay ready and then started on Erin. They were finished with her hair and was just fixing to start on her makeup when her phone rang. Nadia answered it. “No, Jay, I have not let her run away. She’s getting ready and can’t talk.” After a beat Erin heard Nadia say, “Yea, yea ok hang on.” Erin was struggling to contain her laughter. She knew what he was calling about, and she couldn’t wait to be able to let the secret out. 

“Hey, Babe, what’s up?” she asked casually. 

“Erin, this present, is it a joke?” he finally choked out. 

“No, Jay, it’s real. I did it yesterday and knew it would be the perfect present along with the pictures.” She’d done a photo shoot of pictures just for him, but this he was referring to was something extra. Something no one but the two of them knew about. “Erin, baby, you have made me the happiest man on the face of the earth. Who knows?” 

“Just us. But I figure we need to tell since the girls are standing here looking at me funny,” she said on a laugh. 

“Give me five minutes, and we’ll be over.” 

“Ok,” Erin said. “Hank should be here by then.” 

After they hung up, Erin had the girls finish her makeup. True to his word, within five minutes Jay was walking through the door followed by Antonio and Adam. Erin could hear JayJay running through the living room. She would be three next month, and Erin couldn’t wait for the party. She could hear JayJay excitedly telling Jay how “pretty mommy” was. About that time there was a knock on the door followed by, “What the… heck… Halstead?” Erin knew that was her cue because Hank had finally arrived. 

She wasn’t in her dress yet, but she was still stunningly beautiful to Jay. “He’s here because we have some news we want to share with yall,” Erin said. Jay walked to her side; “But first we have to tell JayJay something.” Jay was still holding her so he grabbed Erin’s hand and took off for their bedroom. She was glad she’d left the dress in the bathroom because she didn’t want him seeing it just yet. 

Within a few minutes JayJay went running back into the living room with the biggest smile on her face. Jay and Erin weren’t far behind her, so they heard her announce to everyone, “I’m going to be a big sister!” 

Everyone was shocked at first, but then they offered their congratulations and asking when. Erin told that’d she’d just found out for sure yesterday, but she’s suspected for a while and that is why she chose to stay on the desk. She said that she was three months along, and she was due sometime in April. She could probably pinpoint the date of conception back to the night Jay came home. They definitely had not remembered any kind of protection, and during the six months he’d been gone, she usually forgot to take her pill because she was always so tired and stressed and worried by the end of the day. 

Everyone was so excited for them. Finally all the guys, except Hank, left so she could finish getting ready. They had exactly one hour until the ceremony would start in the park. She chose the park for their wedding because she loved the colors this time of year, and October was still warm enough to have an outdoor wedding. Hank told her how beautiful she looked once she was in her dress, and that he was so proud of the woman and mother she’d become. He was so excited to be a grandpa all over again. 

The ceremony was absolutely perfect. The bride was absolutely stunning and positively glowing. The groom cried when he saw her in her dress for the very first time. He’d never seen someone look as beautiful as Erin as she walked down the aisle to him. He promised Hank he would always love and take care of her. They said ‘I do’ and exchanged their vows promising to always love each other no matter what. 

After what seemed like 5,000 pictures, they cut the cake and partied with their family and friends. Jay was surprising Erin with a honeymoon so when it came time to leave she was honestly excited. Hank was going to be keeping JayJay for the week while they were gone. Erin wasn’t sure if Hank or JayJay was more excited about it. They said their goodbyes and promised JayJay they would call at least once a day. JayJay didn’t even cry when they left. Her baby was growing up, but she another one that would be following in his/her big sister’s footsteps before long. 

Erin was so exhausted from the day’s events that she fell asleep in the car. Jay woke her several hours later, and they were parked outside the most beautiful cabin Erin had ever seen. Erin just sat their taking in the beauty of it. 

“Jay, this is gorgeous.”

“I thought you might like it.”

“Oh, I do. Where are we?”

“This is my cabin in Wisconsin I’ve told you about.” To say Erin was shocked was an understatement. She imagined a shack in the woods every time he talked about this place, but this looked like absolute paradise. She couldn’t ever remember being this happy, and she was extremely excited for what the future held for her and Jay and their growing family. Who would’ve thought a girl like her would ever be experiencing this kind of happiness. Not her, that is for sure, but her heart was overflowing for the man sitting beside her, and all he promised for their future.


	20. Chapter 20

1 Year later...

Jay was standing in his kitchen watching his family in the living room. Erin and JayJay were crawling around on the floor making cooing sounds at Jayce. 6 months ago, Erin had given birth to a healthy 8 pound 5 ounce baby boy. It had been extremely intense for the both of them, and there were times Jay thought Erin was going to kill him, but in the end it was worth it.

They had decided not to find out what the baby would be early on in her pregnancy, and to say Jay was overjoyed that he had a son was an understatement. Oh, he would have been happy if it had been another girl, but he was ecstatic to have a son.

It took them forever to decide on a name. Erin had wanted to keep both of the kids’ initials the same, and deciding on an "F" name for a boy proved almost impossible. Jay had tried to convince her to go with a different middle name, but she wouldn't hear of it. Finally, they decided on a name, and they presented Jayce Fletcher Halstead to his big sister and their team, their family.

Jay loved that both of his kids shared his name. He felt JayJay should have some part of Erin's name, but they hadn't been there to pick her name. Oh, well. It was what it was, and who knows maybe soon they would have another kid or two, and that one could take some of Erin's name.

Hank was already wrapped around Jayce's little finger, just like he was JayJay's. Hank was just as excited as Jay to find out he had another grandson. Hank had been so supportive of the little family and had grown to like Jay so much he considered him a son now.

Erin was back working full time. They'd found a day care close to the station that came with high reviews, and they got a discount because they were cops. Jayce's teacher was really good about keeping both kids if they had to work over. Hank had been really good about not keeping them unless he just absolutely had to have them for a case. He wanted them to be able to spend as much time with the kids as possible.

Jay hadn't heard Erin come up behind him until she wrapped her arms around him. "What are you doing hiding in here?"

"Just thinking about how things have changed in the last year and a half. How wonderful everything has become. Just think a year and a half ago I was just finding out I had a daughter. Now I have a daughter, a son, and an amazingly beautiful wife."

"Yeah, things are pretty great," she agreed. Jay pulled her around in front of him. "You know, Jayce is getting older; maybe we should have another. You know so at least one of our kids can share your name," he said with a big smile.

"JAY!" she practically screamed. She was just getting back into the swing of things at work. She loved both of her kids, and honestly, she wouldn't mind another one or two, but not right now.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," he said thinking back to how beautiful she'd been carrying Jayce. She was always beautiful, but seeing her grow day by day with THEIR baby made her that much more beautiful in his eyes.

"Maybe soon," she said. They could hear JayJay laughing, and Jayce was making babbling/cooing/laughing sounds. "Come on, Beautiful, let’s go play with our kids before Hank comes and steals all their attention." Erin laughed as she followed Jay into the living room.

She was really and truly happy with life. She never thought this kind of life would have been possible for her, but here she was, a happily married woman to an amazing man and a mother to two wonderful kids. Erin couldn't imagine anything being more perfect. If one day they had more kids, she was sure she'd be even happier, but for now she was happy with how things were; just her, Jay and their two kids.


End file.
